The Plan Of Happiness Works Even When We’re Not Happy

If the Plan of Happiness only works at all because of pain and suffering - infinite on the part of the Savior, finite but still all too real on our part - then in what way can it be called a Plan of “Happiness”? It is a plan of Happiness not in the sense that it is a way to selfishly pursue hedonistic pleasures, nor in the sense that it is a way to prevent or avoid or numb all pain or worry or stress, nor in the sense of somehow masochistically embracing the pain and becoming comfortable in our misery. If pain is part of the plan, then there must be some other meaning of Happy that goes beyond what we usually think of - i.e. feeling pleasure or not feeling pain or being content with one’s lot. The greeks have a word called eudaimonia which has the following attributes or qualities: self-discovery, perceived development of one's best potentials, a sense of purpose and meaning in life, investment of significant effort in pursuit of excellence, intense involvement in activities, and enjoyment of activities as personally expressive. The Plan of Happiness isn’t about always walking on sunshine. It’s about knowing who we are and glimpsing who we might become. It’s about learning and growing and changing for the better. It is the joy of struggling with weaknesses day in and day out but then one day waking up to find that we are strong. It is the pleasure of being part of something that is greater than ourselves. It is about pressing forward, not because it is easy but because it is hard and because it is worth it. If we are doing all that we can to let God prevail in our lives and yet we do not in the moment feel happy, that does not mean that the Plan of Happiness has failed, or that we have somehow failed the Plan of Happiness. The Plan of Happiness is bigger than any one single emotion that we are feeling right now, bigger than our fluctuating moods, bigger than the changes in life’s fortunes. It is our inalienable right to pursue happiness. More than that, the pursuit of happiness is not only our whole reason for existing, but the whole reason that the universe exists. The happiness of a life well lived, of giving ourselves up to something greater, of reaching out with love to God and to our brothers and sisters gives meaning to our struggle, strength to our failing limbs, hope to our quavering hearts. The emotions of happiness and elation are short-lived and will burst like soap-bubbles the harder we try to hold onto them. But all emotions are fleeting, and happiness will give way to misery, which will give way to pensiveness which will yield back to happiness. Our moods come and go but the Plan of Happiness can endure through all of the changes in our moods and in our lives in general. Adam fell that men and women might be, and men and women are that they might have joy. Joy in the journey. Joy in the discovery of who we are and who we may become. Joy in seeing ourselves and those around us progress and change for the better. Joy in learning line upon line, growing from grace to grace, becoming each day a little more perfect, a little more happy.