How do we find happiness and achievement?
Be very leery of “self help” where you’ll hear about the importance of…
By 1) uncovering our common purpose and 2) working towards it.
#1) What is our common purpose?
To be God’s gift from Himself to Himself.
“The desire for God is written in the human heart, because man is created by God and for God; and God never
ceases to draw man to himself. Only in God will he find the truth and the happiness he never stops searching for.” CCC27
We are made by God and for God. We are a gift He created for Himself. My life is not for me. Yours isn’t for you. We are His, not ours.
What is our purpose? To be His gift.
#2) How do we work towards our common purpose of being God’s gift?
By passionately and recklessly accepting the life we have and giving it back to Him.
This can be immensely difficult. There might be a lot we don’t want to accept. And if we listen to the world and “self help” we’ll be told to avoid or seek or discover. To “accept” can seem weak and irrational.
But here lies the rub; it is in accepting our lives, especially the tough stuff, where we learn to depend on God. Without the tough stuff we don’t need God. We might think our lives are best lived out during our vacations or financial windfalls or mountain-top moments of intimacy, but that’s just not true. It is by embracing our cross that we can really live the purpose for which we were created. Because it is through our crosses we find Christ and the freedom He granted us through His cross.
How do we find happiness and achievement? By running towards our crosses with a big smile and being thankful, picking them up because of our love and faith and trust in God, and in that moment, experiencing the freedom that is beyond this world, and shining His big, old light on everyone and everything around us.
Be very leery of “self help” where you’ll hear about the importance of…
- Discovering your purpose
- Doing more of the things you “want” to do instead of what you “should” do
- Seeking situations that will result in positive emotions and removing those that cause negative emotions
- Discover your purpose? There’s nothing to really discover. We all have the same purpose. We just have to accept it, which is the battle. To tell me I have to work at discovering it makes it appear to be a mystery, and it’s not.
- Do more of the things you “want?” I don’t trust myself enough to assume what I want is what’s best. Based on the struggles society has with addiction, obesity, failed relationships, debt, suicide, war, etc. I’m confident others would agree – what our weak human nature thinks is best is often the wrong choice.
- Seek situations that result in positive emotions and remove those that cause negative emotions? How is a person supposed to grow and thrive and achieve if they avoid situations that test them and push them with the emotional work it takes to move to higher and higher levels?
By 1) uncovering our common purpose and 2) working towards it.
#1) What is our common purpose?
To be God’s gift from Himself to Himself.
“The desire for God is written in the human heart, because man is created by God and for God; and God never
ceases to draw man to himself. Only in God will he find the truth and the happiness he never stops searching for.” CCC27
We are made by God and for God. We are a gift He created for Himself. My life is not for me. Yours isn’t for you. We are His, not ours.
What is our purpose? To be His gift.
#2) How do we work towards our common purpose of being God’s gift?
By passionately and recklessly accepting the life we have and giving it back to Him.
This can be immensely difficult. There might be a lot we don’t want to accept. And if we listen to the world and “self help” we’ll be told to avoid or seek or discover. To “accept” can seem weak and irrational.
But here lies the rub; it is in accepting our lives, especially the tough stuff, where we learn to depend on God. Without the tough stuff we don’t need God. We might think our lives are best lived out during our vacations or financial windfalls or mountain-top moments of intimacy, but that’s just not true. It is by embracing our cross that we can really live the purpose for which we were created. Because it is through our crosses we find Christ and the freedom He granted us through His cross.
How do we find happiness and achievement? By running towards our crosses with a big smile and being thankful, picking them up because of our love and faith and trust in God, and in that moment, experiencing the freedom that is beyond this world, and shining His big, old light on everyone and everything around us.