Unexpected Happiness

This weeks post is a from a college girlfriend of mine. Both Allie and I are very similar in the fact that we're big dreamers, yogi's, and both of us took a step back recently and realized- there's beauty in the place we are in life.... It may not be the Editor in Chief of a respectable Magazine, or Head of Design at a Corporate Fashion house, but heck- we have so much to be thankful for and suddenly we realized, sometimes happiness can't be chased, sometimes happiness falls unexpectedly into place.

Thank you Allison- please be sure to check out her blog HERE.

There’s a little old saying that is one of my favorites: “Life doesn’t always turn out the way you planned.” If I had it my way, I’d have my own column in one of the hottest publications, I’d have two doggies at my feet when I write and I would be able to cook like Giada on a daily basis. My boy and I would be living comfortably in a two bedroom apartment over looking a park; we would have great friends and drink wine. You know, living the good life.

As I type, God is laughing at me. Hell, I’m laughing at myself. That’s not my life, and who’s to say I would be happy if it was? Right now, at this moment, I’m happy. Despite a monstrous headache from one too many vodka sodas last night-I have my cat sleeping next to me and I’m waiting for my boy to come home (to my Mom’s house) from a family gathering. I wouldn’t have it any other way.

Happiness to me isn’t measured by the things that you have (OK, maybe a REALLY cute pair of shoes) it’s by the things that you have. See the dilemma? For once in my life, all of the planets aligned correctly. I am happy at work and at play. It wasn’t always like this. It was either one or the other. I loved my job, but my relationship was crap. Or my relationship was great and my job was crap. For years, it was never perpendicular. I was dating a guy who I thought was the one, and doing a job that was in my projected major in college.

Now? I am dating a wonderful man that was one of my best friends for four years, and I am now working in non-profit. Complete opposites. It’s strange how happiness pops up unexpectedly. But I am right where I am supposed to be. I finally feel complete and I finally feel accomplished.

Would I mind having the “good life”? Of course not, I would be a hypocrite if I didn’t. But I am sublimely happy with the way things are right now. Happiness and life are two things that you cannot plan, they just happen. And to live a happy life, well…that’s the good life.