I’m grateful for experiencing the truth that happiness comes from what we bring to the world, rather than what the world gives to us. I’ve understood it theoretically for awhile, but it felt crystal clear to me yesterday after I had run some errands and was thinking, That was so much fun! Running errands hasn’t been something I generally consider fun. But I set off with the intention to embody loving-kindness in every interaction, and had fun with the clerk at the post office, had fun walking with a friend, had fun at the bank where Wren got to do some tricks for extra cookies and delighted the drive-up teller; then I had fun stopping by the Bad Dog Ranch, where I was greeted by free-range chickens pecking in the grass next to a black cat who thinks he’s a dog, and by three wagging dogs and a cowgirl.

All of it could have been not-fun if I’d brought a different attitude, like rushing for example, or even just indifference. I could have spent a neutral or unpleasant couple of hours, which is what I’ve done on so many errands in the past. I’m grateful for noticing my progress on the mindfulness path: being present and pleasant, looking people in the eyes with a warm smile, listening with the ear of the heart. It is such a simple shift in perspective, one that I realize has become largely effortless, bringing an intention of sincere friendliness into each interaction. I came home from ‘the world’ happy because I brought loving-kindness from inside myself to my interactions with ‘the world.’

On the radio driving from the bank to the ranch I listened to an interview with a poet and translator from Rafah recounting the desperate situation in that city. He said, “You are not safe at all… I never witnessed such a situation… I’m a survivor of five wars… what we are living through, I can’t call it war, it’s another thing… We are spending our whole lives trying only to survive… I don’t want to survive, I want to live… There is a huge difference between living and surviving….” It was a heartbreaking counterpoint to the happiness I was feeling in my safe car driving along on the other side of the world. I’m grateful for all the causes and conditions leading up to this moment where I am able to live, rather than just survive.