Should everyone be happy?

Growing up, I don't remember anyone saying it was important to be happy. It's not like anyone said, "Be unhappy" or bitter or resigned or anything else for that matter. Just nobody talked about it. I remember a lot of talk about duty, God's will, hard work, patience, endurance, obedience, honor.

I think happiness was assumed to be like peace and beauty; some hippie notion out of California. Happiness could be lumped with leisure time and homosexuality; it led to a weakening of American morals. I bet too much talk about happiness could have gotten you labeled a "socialist" and kicked out of the Elks Club.

So the other day I get this random message from the Universe saying, "Be happy." Not just be happy, but be the happiest person on the planet.

Ok, let's assume this mandate is couched as a bit of an exaggeration. Let's assume that I am only supposed to be as happy as I can personally be. That's still a pretty radical notion.

What if everyone got this message? What would people do? Would the garbage get collected? Would anyone work in retail? Who would clean public toilets?

I try to picture it.Politicians would stop talking about the First and Second Amendments so much and talk about that "Pursuit of Happiness" phrase in the Declaration of Independence.

But isn't that what America is all about? Aren't the ads for cars, teeth whiteners and fabric softeners all geared at selling us happiness? When politicians talk about protecting the American Dream and The American Way of Life aren't they talking about our pursuit of happiness? Everyday thousands of people cross our borders legally and illegally because they think they will be happier here.

So I am claiming this right. I have once fought for and claimed the right to my own life. Liberty will be a topic for another day. Today I declare my right to pursue happiness.

Ok, took a hiatus to assess my life and put some things in order. Why does it seem so hard to write after only 3 weeks? I think about writing all the time. Topics and ideas float around in my head constantly. I think the difference between a writer and a wannabe is more about hard work than talent.

While I was doing all this - ahem - productive thinking about writing, I came up with a list of ideas for the blog and it seems all the ideas can be brought back to a central theme: Why Are We Here? What are we supposed to be doing with our time on earth?

As I was meditating the other day, I received a strange message. It said, "Your job is to be the happiest person on the planet."

What?

How am I going to make money being the happiest person on the planet?

Besides, what kind of dumb job is that? It certainly doesn't take a lot of skill to be The Happiest Person on the Planet. Does it? Besides, I am sure there is some 80-year old wise man living on a much more enlightened continent who already has that job sewn up.

But that's the message, folks, "Be Happy."

In my last post I listed the agreed-upon formula for happiness. I also noted that one had to get rid of any blocks to happiness. In the three weeks since I last posted I learned another valuable lesson about happiness: "Quit trying so damn hard."

The message I got didn't tell me to go out and do anything. It said, "be." Specifically, "be happy."

That sounds like a lifetime assignment. I'm getting started.