Happiness

This time last year as I was in the final stretch of passing my comprehensive exams, I had a sudden realization that changed my life. I remember walking across the campus here under the midday sun, the effects from that year's active hurricane season keeping this part of New York hotter later than usual. I was at a point where I had every reason to be stressed and unhappy with my slower than expected progress towards my doctorate. Yet on that day I realized that I could choose how I approached the world. I could choose to be kind and generous to the people around me. I realized I didn't need to let my own inner troubles impact anyone else.

In the year since I've kept that lesson ever in mind. It's been a rough few years for all of us, and I've been fortunate to have made it through the pandemic as well as I have. Since coming here to New York, I've only encountered a few really kind people, most of the people either are too busy to notice others or let their own unhappiness cast a shadow over everyone around them. But those people are the ones that I look forward to seeing; they're the ones whose company I enjoy.

One of my favorite parts of the Ignatian Examen is thanking God for all the good things that happened during the day. I don't pray it every day but when I do, that is often my favorite part. I'm an aspirational person, a day dreamer through and through, yet as much as I need those aspirations for things to come to keep me motivated in my life and work, I also need to remember the good things that happened each day, big or small, and appreciate them.

Oh Lord, give us the strength to look past the bad and towards the good. Amen.

Seán is a Ph.D. Candidate in History in New York