Happy is as Happy does

When are you most happy?

I’m mostly happy most of the time, even at work.

I grew up in the time of Loverboy. Everybody’s working for the weekend,  right? That’s when everyone is happy.

I grew up in the time of the Flintstones and The Jetsons. One set in the way past. One set in the way future. One thing in common. Fred and George had hard-ass antagonist bosses. They were only happy after work.

Yabba Dabba Do!

I’m fortunate.  I work for a good company, and I like what I do. But even when I worked for less than great places, I have done my very best to be happy. I feel that if I dwell on what I’d rather be doing, I’m less happy. So the best thing to do is just focus on the task at hand.

I’m the happiest when I’m so focused on whatever I’m doing that time stands still.

I had these episodes all the time as a kid, but I never recognized it for what it was because,  well… I was a kid, and that is just what happened. It was normal.

I got older, and the lessons I learned from my beloved childhood cartoons started to kick in. Bosses were bad. Work sucked, and 5/7ths of the week was misery. This is no way to live a life!

My first time noticing the “focus phenomenon” was at a friend’s house. Desi invited me over before the holidays to help her with baking day. She’s Armenian, and, as I found out, they have a LOT of culinary traditions. She and I, along with her sister, spent the day making kibbeh, dolma, and gata. As we helped her around the kitchen, Desi talked much about Armenian culture, their food, and what it meant to them. It was all very fascinating.

I don’t remember the particulars, but I do remember how the day seemed to last forever. I was so engrossed with the tasks at hand (and the stories) that I stopped thinking about anything else.

So that’s what I do now, to the best of my abilities. My most “hated” chore is ironing.  Fortunately,  I don’t have to do it too often.  When I do, though, I try very hard not to focus on what I’d rather be doing. I just do what I do, and I move on to the next thing.

So, I’m happy most of the time, even when I’m ironing.  😉