Don't worry, be happy

"Oh what a beautiful morning, oh what a beautiful day! I've got a wonderful feeling everything's going my way!"

I used to sing that song at the top of my lungs as I drove my VW Dune Buggy around my little town, back when I was 17ish. It summed up everything that I was feeling at the time. No matter the weather, I loved being out in the fresh air cruising around and reveling in the freedom that a drivers license provided me. 

I don't think anyone could hear me. 

Life goes on, though, you know? You can't stay 17 and carefree and mooch off your parents forever. But the happiness that I was feeling then has stayed with me, grown even, despite the craziness of life. 

When I met Mr. Handsome Devil my happiness increased, and he has been the cause of so much happiness I don't have words for it. 

There are simple things, that if you stick to them, happiness will be the result. This mortal journey we are traveling will be easier to navigate. Easier, I said, but not easy. That's not the point! It's not supposed to be easy! But it is supposed to be happy. 

 Our circumstances in life are ever changing and evolving, with peaks and valleys and rivers to cross, but our happiness doesn't have to ebb and flow like our circumstances do.

One of my favorite authors, Mr. Nephi, when describing the way of life for his people, stated simply, "And it came to pass that we lived after the manner of happiness."

What was this 'manner of happiness' that he spoke of? What were they doing that was so awesome?

They were being good, that's what. They were obedient, they knew where they had been and where they were going, and they knew what they needed to do to get there.

This world is crazy, and there's not much we can do about that, but there's no reason to be afraid of it. This is coming from a Mom who recently brought four new lives into this world! On purpose! I did it because it was right, and because I love this world of ours, and because I want to share it with some new little lives.

Usually when I feel like I'm not as happy as I could or should be, it's not because I'm missing something. I have everything that I need to be happy! It's usually because there are too many somethings going on that I don't need.

It's not so much getting rid of bad things, because we've done pretty good at not letting those things in. It's weeding out some of the great things that aren't as great as the best things. It's hard, but worth it.

 But, like I said before, life is, and will forever be, hard. How else do we gain strength and become better? By learning from other peoples struggles, definitely. But from our own, as well. We usually don't see what we learned until the struggle is over. Sometimes we lose our happiness in the difficult moments. I've found, for me, I only lose my smile when I lose my perspective. When I can't see the horizon any more, or when I set down my 'road map'. When I forget where I am going, and why this certain something is helping me get there.

But I do know where I am going. I know where I have been, and I know where I am now. I know.

I'm happy because I know it's not the end when I make mistakes. If it were, I would have given up a long time ago. 

I love my life. I am happy! 

My life is hard. It's crazy. Sometimes I cry. This world is scary, but I am not afraid. Undoubtably, I am happy.