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It’s About Time Ruth Wong |
Identify what truly
makes you happyWhat is your favorite Thanksgiving memory? I grew up in Seattle, where my father was a minister. We always had a full house for Thanksgiving dinner. Welcome at our home were friends, church members and Japanese seamen my father befriended.
And of course there was the food -- turkey with all the trimmings! Those are happy memories.
But one of my favorite memories is from a Thanksgiving six years ago here in Hawaii. It's a memory with a valuable lesson I learned from a homeless man.
My church was sponsoring a free turkey lunch for the homeless at Aala Park. It was a beautiful, typical Hawaiian blue-sky kind of day. After meeting at the church to put the cranberry sauce and other food into foil pans, a caravan of cars set out for Aala Park. With so many volunteers, the long tables were set up in no time. All we needed to start serving were the roasted turkeys that were to be delivered by a local restaurant.
This was my first real contact with the homeless. Among the dozens that had gathered were mostly young- to middle-aged men, a few women and even a family with small children.
Many questions reverberated in my mind: "Who are you?" "How did you end up here?" "Where do you sleep?" "Do you have family?" "Do you have any dreams or goals for your life?" "Are you happy?"
ONE MAN sitting alone caught my eye. I guessed he was about 30. He was clean and neatly dressed in a T-shirt and jeans. Hoping to get a few answers to my questions, I paused to chat.
I learned he was from a large East Coast city and had been raised by grandparents, now dead. He was articulate and I sensed he had a keen mind.
"I can tell that you're intelligent and could have a bright future. What are your dreams for your life?" I asked.
I was surprised when he replied, "Dreams? I don't have any dreams."
Sensing my concern for his homeless situation, he quickly added, "There was a time in my life when I had more -- a LOT more. But you know, I wasn't any happier than I am now."
That unexpected bit of information really struck a nerve in me. "Happiness doesn't depend on things" is a phrase I had heard before, and now here was someone who attested to that, in the extreme!
In my work as a professional organizer, I work with many who are overwhelmed by having too much. We seem to equate happiness with the amount of possessions we have. Perhaps our possessions do bring us initial happiness, but the thrill wears off all too soon.
This holiday season, let's be thankful for all we have, but let's take the time to identify those things and people in our lives that truly contribute to our happiness. Let's make more time for them and let go of the extraneous. It will be time well spent.
Happy holidays to you! See you in two weeks!
"It's About Time," by Ruth Wong, owner of Organization Plus, runs the fourth Friday of each month. Contact her at "It's About Time," care of the Honolulu Star-Bulletin, 7 Waterfront Plaza, Suite 210, Honolulu 96813; or e-mail features@starbulletin.com
