I have determined that the negativity I have expressed in my life has had a purpose. Most people have taken that purpose away and repositioned it as a darkness that must be purged, a choice that was made to not look at the good. But this isn’t true. It’s far from the truth because without good you cannot have evil, there is a balance in the universe, there are the Eight Winds and there is a reason we as humans experience joyful moments and those of suffering too.

I have learned a lot from the challenges that I faced, in those that I ran from and had to face anyway. It’s lead me to question important aspect of my identity as well as society. It’s made me a critical thinker. But it has not caused me to forget the notion of happiness and it’s expression in my life.

Happiness is not always the extension of your lips across your face or the showing of teeth. It is quiet, calm, prepared and content. It is joyful, expressive and loud. It’s many things, but the norm tends towards identifying happiness as an exuberant expression of fulfillment.

I recently watched Temple Grandin’s story with Claire Danes as the lead. So many individuals on the Autism/Aspergers spectrum do not show their emotions the way many of us expect. Instead of this 😂 you get 😐 and instead of ☹️ you get this 🤯. It’s fair to all of us if we begin to refuse old ideas of observing behavior and pick up new ways of understanding it and letting it go.

Happiness is one of the eight winds. It is not the only emotion you need to survive. It is what everyone needs to live their best life but it is not our only tool in the kit. We must forge swords and shields for those who take it upon themselves to infiltrate. They must not sway the causes you make with their own feelings.