Happiness comes when your work and words are of benefit to yourself and others

The title of this blog post is a quote by Gautama Buddha that I really like. I've started to read Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi's‎ Flow: The Psychology of Optimal Experience, and I really hope I can follow through and finish this book before classes start. I've been meaning to read this book For The Longest Time ♫! (Yes, in my mind, I sang that last bit.) Not only because the concept is so relevant to OT work, but also because Flow has always been of interest to me ever since I first heard of it in my undergrad Positive Psychology class. Recent meet ups with friends and hearing about everyone at different stages of their lives (masters student vs. recent graduate and soon to be professional with a secured position vs. traveller on contract employment vs. newly accepted Med student whose relationship will soon be long distance etc.) has gotten me to rethink, no, more like Revisit my own concept of Happiness.

The first year of my OT masters, has been AWESOME, to say the least. Undeniably challenging and stressful, but also very rewarding, inspiring and fun! Taking the good with the bad, I have been really happy with my choice to accept the offer. I've felt truly blessed with getting into the program, having such kind colleagues, great preceptor during placement, meeting great new people and having very little hassle when finding housing. I've never felt like a "lucky" person, but this past year has really brought some much needed Luck to my life.

Now, as my second and final year approaches, I feel as though the "future" that I've always looked forward to, is coming so soon! Too soon? My "life after I'm a student", could start as soon as a year from now! Part of me wants to hang on to the student role for my dear life. All of this work and school business has always been leading up to my summer next year. Can I call that future the "after-student-life"? (Then hopefully the "out-of-student-debt-life" can arrive soon, we'll see.) But what do I want to do with my "after-student-life"?

Of course, I want to pass my national exam and start practicing as an OT asap. But I'm stuck on all the other parts of life. OT is just part of the "What" of my life. What about the Who, When, Where and... Why?

Ultimately I want to live happily. But I have no concrete answers for what Happiness means to me outside of work, or how that will come about and how it is likely to change, a year from now. I understand this insecurity is not a unique feeling but I'm quite a detail oriented person, so that's probably why I'm so compelled to have "it all figured out". I can't help but feel a bit lost about my life a year from now. I'm scared that I may let this feeling of insecurity hinder my thinking for the rest of the year when I'm still living in the time of my life that is still relatively "known".

Going back to Buddha's quote that is also the title of this post: "Happiness comes when your work and words are of benefit to yourself and others". That most certainly describes the kind of Happiness I wish to find from my work and relationship with clients. But it's just describing one way that Happiness can come about. It seems lacks a personal aspect, the emotion and intimacy that I feel the state of Happiness would embody for most people. And I need to find that for myself. For now, I'll just try to go with the Flow. (Yes, puns are awesome!)

What does Happiness mean for you?