We can be happy in two ways.
First, we can be happy with our own lives. We can be happy for the things that we possess, for the things that are going well in our jobs and careers, for the relationships that we are blessed with, for our own spiritual growth and for all the happiness that God has showered upon us.
The second kind of happiness is being happy for the happiness of other people. It is being able to share in the success of a friend, in the good family life of a brother, in sainthood of a fellow man, in the unique blessings that people close and not so close to us possess.
As a single person, God has given me the opportunity to experience both types of joy.
I can be happy for the family that God has given me, for my mother and my two sisters who are very dear to me. I can be happy for my friends. I can be happy for the job and the mission He has given me.
On the other hand, I can also be happy in the blessings God has showered other people. I may have relatives and friends who are already married. And while I may not have their vocation, I can rejoice with the blessings given to them. I certainly rejoice with the nephews God has given me through my youngest sister. Through them, I can experience in a certain way how to take care of young ones. I can bask in their laughter and be amazed at their talents. I can enjoy those cute little greeting cards they make to show their love for me.
Let us not remain closed to our own happiness. For this is what envy does. It blocks us from being happy with what others have and eventually, it makes us forget the blessings that have been given us.
Instead, let us have an open heart that is truly filled with happiness, and be happy for what we have as well as for what others have been given.
This is the simple secret to double your joy today.
“There is joy in self-forgetfulness. So I try to make the light in others’ eyes my sun, the music in others’ ears my symphony, the smile on others’ lips my happiness.”- Helen Keller
“Love is patient and is kind; love doesn’t envy.”— 1 Corinthians 13:4, WEB
As a gratitude to our dear subscribers, you may download the following e-book instantly. Get your free “Life Coaching Kit” today:
If you are not yet subscribed to “Single Catholic Writer”, subscribe now and get the following e-books also for free: