A Nun's Life » happiness

What does it mean for you to be happy?

Sister Julie — Tue, 28 Jun 2011 20:42:09 +0000

It is time to get your existential ON!

Here’s my question for you: What does it mean for you to be happy?

I know, a nice light question, but I really want to know. So many different ways to respond — a good meal, ontological contentment, a silly joke, world peace — I’m looking forward to hearing the diversity of thoughts and what makes happiness “tick”! Use the comment box below to offer your nuggets of wisdom.

And …. GO!

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Police deliver message to nun: “Don’t worry, be happy.”

Sister Maxine — Wed, 18 May 2011 15:11:23 +0000

At 2:30 a.m., I awoke to police lights blinking at my window. Two police cars with their red emergency lights flashing were parked across the street. There were no sirens, and no cars pulled over.

I watched as two officers with flashlights returned to the cars, typed something on their computers, and waved goodbye to each other. Then I heard over the loudspeaker from one of the cars, “Don’t worry, be happy!” and the cars disappeared into the darkness.

It was like a Bobby McFerrin song flashback to the 1980s. I admit that I was never a big fan of the song. Its simplicity sort of annoyed me. But given that the message was delivered in the middle of the night by an emergency vehicle, I pondered its cosmic significance.

Maybe the two police officers routinely made that announcement after responding to calls in the middle of the night. Maybe it was a way to keep the fear of the unknown from having the final word in their lives. Or maybe they saw me, watching from beside the window, and figured they’d offer reassurance.

The incident made me think about the power of affirmations. Don’t worry. Be happy. They’re simple but compelling words. Happiness doesn’t mean ignoring the future and making decisions based only on the present moment. But too much worry and fear impinges on the capacity for happiness. So today, I’m going to make the best decisions that I can, and consciously leave the rest up to the Spirit. Don’t worry. Be happy.

Is there an affirmation that will help guide you today? If so, please share it in the comment box below!

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If you’re happy and you know it…

Sister Maxine — Wed, 26 Jan 2011 16:18:21 +0000

The gray days of winter are upon us here in the midwestern U.S. Not much sun, lots of clouds, and a light mist in the air. It’s the kind of day that’s perfect for pondering existential questions! So for today: the question of happiness. Here I’m thinking about the day-to-day type of happiness as well as the longer-term type of happiness that isn’t dependent on immediate circumstances.

What is the nature of happiness? Do we know when we’re happy? Can we do anything to make our lives happier? These are huge questions. I’m happy to say that I don’t feel the need to answer them. But I do like exploring the questions. To help with this, I found a great article about the history of happiness, by Darrin McMahon, PhD. Here’s an excerpt:

“[Happiness is]…a relatively recent idea in the West which dates from the 17th and 18th centuries…. People prior to the late 17th century thought happiness was a matter of luck or virtue or divine favor. Today we think of happiness as a right and a skill that can be developed. This has been liberating, in some respects, because it asks us to strive to improve our lots in life, individually and collectively. But there have been downsides as well. It seems that when we want to be happy all of the time, we can forget that the pursuit of happiness can entail struggle, sacrifice, even pain.” (http://greatergood.berkeley.edu/article/item/happiness_the_hard_way/)

I also found a website that takes a hands-on practical approach to happiness (http://www.happiness-project.com/). On the site, Gretchen Rubin offers ideas for cultivating happiness in daily life. There’s also some great footage from the classic documentary Inquiring Nuns Ask: Are You Happy?.

The 1968 film features two Catholic sisters who approach people on the street in Chicago and ask them if they’re happy.

If a blogging nun approached you online and asked if you’re happy, what would you say? Please share your response by typing it in the comment box below!

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Independence and the Pursuit of Happiness

Sister Julie — Sat, 04 Jul 2009 12:38:25 +0000

Happy July 4th to my fellow U.S. Americans! I invite you to read the wonderful reflection on Independence Day offered by my nun Sister Maxine Kollasch, IHM, on our IHM website.

Sister Maxine reflects on the meaning of the line “the pursuit of happiness” from the Declaration of Independence, a right which the early American community was willing to (and many did) die for.

Check out the thought-provoking questions at the end of her reflection and feel free to offer your responses here.

What makes you happy? How is your happiness connected with the happiness of your family, your neighborhood, your professional or spiritual community? In what ways are you seeking to pursue happiness as an individual and as part of a world community?

Enjoy your hotdogs, picnics, family, friends, baseball games, and fireworks!

Not just blessed, but happy

Sister Julie — Thu, 07 May 2009 12:12:25 +0000

Today’s gospel reading is John 13:16-20. I was struck by the following verse because I don’t think I’d ever read or heard it in the Jerusalem Bible translation:

After he had washed the feet of his disciples, Jesus said to them:
‘I tell you most solemnly,
no servant is greater than his master,
no messenger is greater than the man who sent him.
‘Now that you know this, happiness will be yours if you behave accordingly.

What struck me is the word “happiness”. In other translations the word is “blessed.” We will be blessed if we follow Jesus’ example and that means we must imitate the spirit of Jesus’ lifework (Jerome Biblical Commentary).

Now blessed I get — we follow Jesus, we will be blessed. But being “happy” is something different altogether. I wrote about happiness a while back but this verse from John casts the meaning in a new light.

Happiness doesn’t necessarily mean that everything is going as planned or that there is not struggle or tragedy or discomfort. Sometimes (many times) our happiness seems totally dependent on our circumstances and on our relationships. But here Jesus is telling us that our happiness resides in following Jesus, in imitating the spirit with which he went about his own life — humility, simplicity, zeal, kindness, love (even fierce love), faithfulness. The washing of feet is a beautiful example of the spirit of Jesus’ lifework. And to know that Jesus didn’t just do it as an educational moment, but that he genuinely felt happy about what he was doing. That’s something that I think we all want to cultivate in ourselves, a sense of happiness about not only what we are doing but who we are.

What strikes you about this passage on happiness?