Happiness is a journey, not a destination.

Happiness only happens when one is engaged in something which, while in the process of doing it, is fulfilling.  If this process is taking him toward a final end goal and then the goal is reached, then what?  Surely, there’s a point of satisfaction and perhaps some celebration.  But how long will the happiness continue?

This is why I can never understand the pursuit of retirement.  This is also why peoples’ lives often end so shortly after retirement.  Their purpose dries up. Their need to wake up each day and be part of something is drastically diminished and the aging process and mental collapse escalates.

The early astronauts, after they returned from missions were found to become depressed.  What next, after you’ve gone to the moon?  All their physical and mental preparation, all the time they spent involved with one another, their support teams, all the meaningful, structured daily events were finished.  Since that phenomenon was discovered, now astronauts come back to other purposeful work.

People who retire from their careers should never do so until they have planned their future.  Most will say they want to take more  time to spend with their family, and that’s all very nice and good.  But where IS the family?  They’re probably out living their lives, and their careers and the retiree finds himself alone most of the time.  Lets face it, even the best of marriages can hardly stand 100% companionship, so the new lifestyle of being at home rarely works out very well.

People are meant to provide purpose on this earth, not just for themselves and their family but for their environment.  Sitting around watching TV ain’t gonna cut it.

Productivity is happiness.  Purpose is happiness.  Rest and complacency isn’t.  Happiness is the pursuit of doing something and being something worthwhile.