“He not busy being born is busy dying” – Bob Dylan (From the Introduction to “Wellness Workbook; How to Achieve Enduring Health and Vitality” by John W. Travis M.D., and Regina Sara Ryan
You have the right to pursue happiness. So, while you’re traveling 500 miles a day in that truck, or 500 miles an hour in an aircraft, pursue it. No one can grant it to you, and it is the most important part of living well.
If you are unhappy with your life, you are heading left on the Wellness Spectrum (right is right, left is losing). Wellness is about movement in the right direction. You can be overweight, sickly, broke, lonely, whatever; but still be moving in the right direction if you set S.M.A.R.T. goals (detailed in an upcoming post) and work toward them a little bit each day as your schedule allows.
Prolonged unhappiness can lead to emotional and physical illness. Yeah, really, unhappiness not dealt with can become depression, lead to substance abuse, lack of motivation, and a downward spiral of life unlived.
Although you have a right to pursue happiness, you do not have a right to happiness brought about by making others unhappy (even if they are 4 wheelers cutting in front of you or some other dumbass move).
What brings you happiness out there? I know how difficult it can be to stay happy on the long ol’ road. It seemed easier back in the late 70’s when I started. I last drove last year (I’ve been out from hip surgery for a while). Now, with LEDs and safety blitzes and all the other crap thrown at us, it is a challenge to not feel like we are being monitored unduly and cop an attitude of persecution. That being said, we can still find plenty of things to be happy about.
Air is a pretty good thing and it is all around. I mean, simply being able to breathe is a blessing. Life is a blessing even if not all things are going our way at any given time. Happiness sometimes takes work. Are you happy or at least working towards it?
If you are not happy with life, don’t watch BS news and read BS Internet stuff. Read uplifting stuff. Spiritual matter, happy ending novels and such will help a lot.
How about hobbies you can do on the road like “roadside geology” at road cuts, amateur astronomy when you can stop at dark places inn the country? Anything that stimulates your mind can help induce good endocrine responses like dopamine. A bit of intense exercise can do the same by inducing endorphins excretion.
Let’s all do something daily to be well and happy. Let’s be born a little better every day.
