Delights and direction

What gives you the highest amount of joy? What gives you exhilaration? Pause for a minute and think. Is it the things you have? Maybe it’s that brand new car with the leather seats and air bags. Maybe it’s that project you’re working on. You can smell success a mile away and you’re moving in for the kill. Maybe it’s something else. People search for happiness. They buy different things; do different activities seeking that elusive feeling. And then they end up disappointed. What many do not know is that each man’s happiness depends on his or her state of maturity.

In his book entitled “Live Like a King,” Warren Wiersbe hits it right on top of the head by telling us what happiness is and how different people achieve it. “At some point in life, each one of us must decide what his highest joy is, for the thing that delights us directs us.

Generally speaking, a child finds delight in what he has.

A young man delights in what he does, and an adult in what he is.

The first lives for possessions, the second for the experiences and the third for character. We do not condemn the child or the youth for so living because neither have reached maturity, but we would certainly wonder at an adult who loved on those lower levels.”

How true, isn’t it? Certain people I know are old and mature chronologically, but their mind and attitude resemble that of a 10-year-old. Always seeking to find things that can make them happy. Toys for big boys, all the latest gadgets. The smartest phones, the signature jeans, jackets, power suits and power ties. But you think they’re happy? Maybe. But I am sure many of them are not. Happiness starts fading the moment their latest toys and the new smells fade and depreciation cost kicks in.

Many people I know are driven. Their job, their career, or the projects they’re working on means everything to them. This is why the moment they fail in their jobs, they feel like they’re good for nothing. Their value and worth is equated with what they do, and how they do it. Their happiness dissipates once their project is completed and they have to look for their next fix.

But people who are mature find happiness not in the things they possess, nor in the things they do. They find happiness in being, and not by doing. They understand that people who are searching for happiness can never find it because happiness is simply a by-product of a godly life. This is why the mature person occupies himself with doing the right things and doing things right. This person is more focused on the being and the becoming. The character building as his years pass him by. So every person has an outlook on life. He is seeking his highest joy. Outlook determines outcome.

Well, the year is almost over. Businesses are closing their books and finishing their reports. The 13th month pays have been given, bonuses dispersed, and the feeling is that there is a closure of one thing, and an anticipation for another.

This is a good time to reflect on the year that will soon be gone. “What is it that gave me delight and what is it that provided me with direction?” Perhaps, a better way to anticipate the new year is to have the determination not only to do better, but to be better. Not just to work hard on our jobs or businesses, but to work harder on becoming a better person; to develop an attitude of gratitude and providing ourselves as channels of blessings to other people, to continue to grow and develop ourselves. To embark on a non-stop learning journey and to focus on character building, as well as business building, to put more and express more love to our family as they journey with us in this short span of time we have on planet earth, and to live life to the full as God has meant life to be.

The new year will come with new challenges and new opportunities. But the one thing that should remain constant is to improve in our attitude and character. So, be on a careful watch with what it is that delights you. This might as well be the compass that directs you. Love God and love your neighbors. I don’t think you will go wrong with that.

A Blessed Christmas to you and your family.

(Mark your calendars on Jan. 25, 2019 for the much-awaited event “Power Up for Peak Performance”! It will be happening at the Samsung Hall, SM Aura, BGC. The whole-day event featuring a power-packed cast of fantastic speakers will take place from 9:00 am to 5:00 pm. For further inquiries or advanced reservations, contact April at +63928-559-1798 or register online at www.powerup.ph)