Life: the Goal Really Isn't about Being Happy

I once thought that the main goal of our lives was the pursuit of happiness. Heck, it’s even outlined in our American Declaration of Independence.

“I just want to be happy.” “You deserve to be happy.” “ Do what makes you happy.” Sound familiar? Facebook and Pinterest are filled with these empty and self-serving platitudes. Yes, self-serving. I say this because the type of false “happiness” these quotes are espousing are defined by the confines and dictates of this world. For those of us living in the United States and most other Western nations, happiness is defined as the accumulation of wealth and status, power and prestige. We gear and donate our entire lives toward achieving these material earthly treasures. We have even convoluted our Catholic educational systems in many cases, sending our kids for status purposes instead of for the true reason for the existence of these institutions, Faith Formation and Foundation. I know this because the kids coming out of these schools seem to lack the basic knowledge of their faith and are lack luster Catholics, not practicing the true principals and teachings of the Church. Instead of practicing community involvement and service, they are instead holed up with hours of homework in an effort to “be the best”, and earn places in the best schools and colleges. Why, so that someday they can make the most money and have the best stuff.

Don’t get me wrong, success and achievement are not wrong or bad, but the love of success and achievement, and anything else of this world is.

1 Timothy 6:10: “For the love of money is a root of all kinds of evil. Some people, eager for money, have wandered from the faith and pierced themselves with many griefs.”

Mark 4:19: “but the worries of this life, the deceitfulness of wealth and the desires for other things come in and choke the word, making it unfruitful.”

So, what are we to do? We live in this world every day, even if it is as pilgrims?

First, balance and priority are paramount. We must focus on Truth and Faith, and God; and not on the distractions of this world. We are not made for this world, being happy now, as this world defines it, is not worth the sacrifice of eternal and true happiness in Heaven one day. That is the Goal that we are made for and destined for. If we keep this at our forefront, for all thought and action, everything else for our lives will fall into place.

If we always put God first, and others before ourselves, we might be surprised and actually find a type of truth and happiness in this world that Earthly delights can never give us. That hole in our heart, the one we so desperately try to fill with destructive vices; will overflow with a peace and joy that fathoms no Earthly understanding and we will achieve a piece of Heaven, now, right here on Earth.