One of the Secrets to Happiness

How do you be happy? Where does a lack of happiness come from? I've been reading books of people I admire to learn from them. One of my "virtual mentors" is Billy Graham. I admire how he pursued his vision with laser-like tenacity. He is one of the men I aspire to be like and one of the men who inspire me to be more like Jesus.

In a Q&A, Mr. Graham mentions one of the secrets to happiness by referencing King Solomon from the Christian Bible. In the book of Ecclesiastes, chapter 9, verse 10, it starts by saying,

"Whatever your hand finds to do, do it with all your might..."

This, Mr. Graham notes, is one of the secrets to happiness. What better way to learn about life's secrets than to learn from older and wiser individuals, people who have weathered the storm. It's the difference between hearing about the war from a young scholar and a veteran with battle scars.

The book of Ecclesiastes was written by King Solomon towards the end of his life. Those familiar with this book will recall how he speaks of the meaningless of life, or rather, how many of life's pursuits (money, women, fame, ...) are meaningless. These sayings were written looking back on his life. Some have said that our vision of the past is 20/20.

Why is this one of the secrets to happiness?

Many of us are unsatisfied, desiring something better. Comparing our current state of affairs with those of others. Our view of ourselves are often connected with this comparison. If we "do better" or "have more" than others, we feel better; likewise, the converse is true.

What King Solomon is saying is to take whatever you have been given and to work at it with all your entire being. There is something to be said about the man (or woman) who takes what they have been given and cultivates excellence. What matters more is how you live the role rather than the role itself.

The takeaway is not that comparing is bad, but to be careful what you compare. Instead of comparing roles or gifts (i.e. doctor vs nurse, engineer vs businessman, janitor vs CEO, teaching vs leadership, etc...), you should look at your roles and gifts and examine how you live out your roles (be it a father, businessman, sister, student, etc..) and how you cultivate your gifts.

This does not mean you do not search out these roles (i.e. give no regard to your calling). In each stage of life, we continue to discover more about who we are and where we are destined. However, at each of these stages of life, there are also things to work on (including pursuing your calling) and these are the things you should pursue with all your might.