Being Happy in the Fort

One thing I think it is possible to be in Fort Wayne is happy. This is a very important thing, and the right to pursue this very thing was considered unalienable by our founding fathers. But, happiness is such a subjective thing, I think it is often easier to be happier in some places than in others.

So what is there to be happy about in Fort Wayne? Steady real estate values, for one thing. Prices for homes are not too high, and they hold their values. The cost of living is not bad here. Fort Wayne is not so large as for there to be traffic jams all the time, like there are in Chicago or Indianapolis. There is enough home-townishness to make the little things seem real; important things such as school and church. It's large enough here for us to have a Jewish neighbor family. Nearby Amish and Myanmar refugees are living in the same county - they too have a shot at a better quality of life than what their parents had.

It's not the greatest job market, but lots of folks are working. It doesn't have the best winters, but not the worst, either. There are lots of parks; activities and sports for kids; a zoo, an airport, history.

But happiness is not all about where you live. It's a state of mind. And if a person really wants to be happy, he has to first identify what truly are the basic sources of his happiness and then make priorities in life based on these. And I would also argue it means recognizing destructive mental states and stopping or changing these as much as possible. I do believe we can train our minds to be happier, and we owe it to ourselves and those around us to do just that.

There is a whole process to doing that, an ancient and modern process - maybe many processes. I won't go into all that right now. But it is something definitely worth pursuing daily. And if nothing else, just showing kindness and compassion for others help us be less closed off, or 'into ourselves,' so that we can be more open for happiness. Being into ourselves, we see problems and feel less happy: when we are thinking about and are doing for others, we forget about ourselves and strangely feel happier.

It is not a simple matter to change one's outlook. It takes work. Change can be slow, and we are human. And there certainly is no avoiding pain and suffering - it simply is part of life. The holidays are a time to focus on these things - not just run around worrying about what isn't getting done. Spending time not worrying about the lists and actually taking a few moments to be together - fight for that time (nicely) with your family and friends. And if you can, focus on what it feels like to simply

just appreciate that.