The Architecture of Happiness
In middle school, we learned that DNA contains the building blocks of life (or was that from Jurassic Park?). From a young age, many kids are fascinated by building things, whether with blocks, Legos, or even just their imaginations. While only a few will grow up to create buildings or accomplish incredible feats of engineering, the truth is that we are all builders, and we are all architects of our own minds, dreams, and lives.
āWhen I was five years old, my mother always told me that happiness was the key to life. When I went to school, they asked me what I wanted to be when I grew up. I wrote down āhappy.ā They told me I didnāt understand the assignment, and I told them they didnāt understand life.ā This apocryphal quote is widely attributed online to John Lennon, Charles Schwartz, or Goldie Hawn. Regardless of its origin, the sentiment is clear and one I believe everyone should consider and strive for, especially in this age of information when bad news is so quickly and widely spread.
[double_column_left]I believe most of us realize at some point in our lives that we are responsible for our own happiness; we canāt rely on others to create it, though we can choose to spend our time with those who make us feel a certain way. Family and friends will influence us, but ultimately, we must design and build our lives in a way that makes us satisfied, and above all, happy. If life were a building, our goals and dreams would be the foundation on which we build. The people we love, our work, our hobbies, our beliefs, and our health would be the pillars that hold us up. At the top of all that lies happiness; like the top of a skyscraper swaying in the breeze, it might waver, but itās always there if the pillars are kept intact.
[/double_column_left] [double_column_right] [/double_column_right]Once in a while, an earthquake might rock the foundations of your life. Other times, someone might bring a sledgehammer to your front door, break it down, and threaten to demolish what youāve built. But if your foundations and pillars are strong, and with people to help you build them back up if they crack, you will always come out on top. As the wise wizard Dumbledore once said, āHappiness can be found in the darkest of times if one only remembers to turn on the light.ā
From the Ragsdale familyās journey of finding their happiness together in a new home by the bay to Pamela Dowlingās sage wisdom in her inspirational column āGood Enough,ā I hope the stories in this issue inspire you to find what makes you happy and pursue it with all your might. Keep in mind that fond memories can bring happiness as well, as seen in our staffās roundup of favorite places from their hometowns.
As we curate a selection of āStories with Heart and Soulā in every issue of VIE, we hope to bring you a little bit of happiness, too.
āJordan
Managing Editor
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