Mountaintop Meditations - Happiness is a Practice

So, anyone knowing me knows that I like to go hiking. Due to summer weather though, I have not gone very much lately, and when I do go, it is always either early in the morning (my last hike before today began before sunrise) or sundown (always on a full moon). Today was scheduled to be cool and cloudy with a chance of drizzle; perfect weather for a morning hike.

While I like running (and when I am able, I run 3 days per week), I rarely ever run while hiking. Hiking is a meditative time for me. I take my time, enjoy the sights, climb rocks and look out over the world from time to time. When I get to the top, I meditate. Sometimes the purpose of the meditation is to clear my head (which is subsequently the point of the whole hike). Sometimes the purpose is to get organized and set a game plan for things to be accomplished. Sometimes the purpose is to think better and/or more constructive thoughts than those I am presently thinking. Today's purpose was the latter. I have been really depressed lately. I have been sick and have had entirely too much time to think about everything that is wrong with my life.

As I proceeded up the mountain, I cleared my head. I was so successful at this endeavor that at one point, as I sat upon a rock overlooking the city, I for a second forgot what I was sad about. I had to think about it. Further up the mountain, I decided that the purpose of this hike, the purpose of today's meditation, was going to be gratitude. I thought about all the things I was thankful for (even though some of the things I thought about had downsides as well as upsides and I found myself consistently circling back and forth between positivity and negativity). But in the end, I ended up being completely grateful that I was able to hike up to the top of anything (some people can't even walk, let alone hike). I am grateful that while I am sick, my health is overall pretty good. I am grateful that I never have to worry about where my next meal is coming from. In short, I have many things to be grateful for.

So, while my life is not at all as I had planned it, or thought it would turn out . . . while things are not perfect by any means . . . I have come to the following epiphany for the day; one that I know I will have to frequently remind myself of:

I shouldn't live life always thinking about what I don't have or what didn't go right. Instead, I should remember what I do have and what did go right. Life is a journey through hills and valleys. Sometimes I will be at the top of the hill or mountain looking out over the world. Other times I will be at the bottom with the world looking down on me. Happiness is a practice.

(The last line was stolen from Glen Phillips)