Since Auschwitz, we know what man is capable of. And since Hiroshima, we know what is at stake. ~ Viktor E Frankl

Don’t Let Others Steal Your Happiness

In our society we have this funny relationship with talking about ourselves. When you talk to folks from other countries they often refer to how much Americans brag about themselves and our country. We strike people from other countries and being very bold. However in our society, if you talk proudly about your characteristics or accomplishments we really look down on those types of discussions. We will call that person full of themselves, arrogant, stuck up, etc…. I’ll never forget a conversation I had with a woman once, she was one of our students and while meeting with me she went off on a tangent about her child. Her child had just won a science competition and was being invited to participate in a prestigious summer program and you could see how proud she was of her child. Then she suddenly got apologetic about bragging about her child and kept apologizing. I stopped her and let her know that it was perfectly fine for her to talk about her child’s achievements.

We all have things that we are happy and proud about in terms of who we are as a person. We should be proud of those features and aspects of our lives. We can’t let others diminish those aspects of who we are and especially what makes us happy. Often others want to pull you down because they’re unhappy and selfishly they don’t want others to be happy. Sometimes people pull you down because they’re jealous that you have something they don’t or because they are competitive and feel like if you have something they don’t, then somehow they’re losing. Sometimes they just don’t understand why something makes you happy, because it’s not their thing. These are unfortunate but all too common perspectives in our culture.

What I’m suggesting tonight are two things. First, that you hang on to those things that make you feel good and happy about yourself, be proud of them and forgive yourself if for whatever reason those things make someone else feel less than, that’s their issue not yours. And second, extend grace in the other direction. Be happy for the good and happy things that other people have. It would be a much better world if we could all just be happier not just for ourselves, but also for the other people in our lives. So, be proud and be gracious and you’ll have happier days my friends. ~ Rev Kane