Happiness Is:

Happiness Is:

Over the years of coaching and teaching, I have used one definition for the words happiness and fun. Our definition: Happiness is goals achieved.

Sometime near the time of the New Millennium, it seems that many parents and young people developed a new expectation or goal for life. It can be quoted like this, “I just want to be happy,” or, “I just want my child to be happy.” Sounds harmless enough. After all, even our history lessons teach us the unalienable right of life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness. The trouble is, how do we define happiness? What happiness means to each individual person is significantly different.

Today, it seems many young people and adults are looking for happiness in all the wrong places and in all the wrong ways. So how do we help guide others towards happiness? Well, let us try using the definition that happiness can be achieved by setting goals and working hard to achieve them. Sometimes we achieve our goals and the feeling of accomplishment that follows is happiness and fun. Make no mistake, the road to reaching those goals is paved with hard work, obstacles and mundane repetition– things that many times do not make us happy or are not fun when doing them. If we have what it takes to persevere and reach our goals, happiness is available to all of us.

"But as for you, be strong and do not give up, for your work will be rewarded."

2 Chronicles 15:7

Your Challenge

Set your goals for each day, week, month, and the years ahead. Instead of asking yourself what do you want, ask yourself what do you NEED while always keeping your end goals in mind.

Respectfully,
Al Kerns & the Ed Thomas Family Foundation

This post is written by Al Kerns, a long-time friend of Ed Thomas and a team member with the Ed Thomas Family Foundation. Al coached with Ed for 30+ years at Aplington-Parkersburg. If you'd like to have messages like this one sent to your email, consider subscribing to our newsletter here.