Do Haeng Michael Kitchen

New Year’s Eve.

I considered writing about my thoughts on New Year’s resolutions and goals, but after reading my earlier posts of Goals for 2013? None! and No Goals for 2014, I really have little to add to them.

I’m not one who is about chasing goals in order to feel accomplished or wealthy or happy.  GOALS to me are Ghosts Of Attaining Life Satisfaction; ethereal and imaginary states that declare that I won’t be happy or whatever state I think I lack unless I accomplish these things.  The problem is that once a goal is achieved (or another New Year’s Eve arrives) it is imperative to set another goal, in order to achieve happiness or achieve whatever state that you think that you are not.  It’s a never-ending cycle of lack seeking fulfillment.  A haunting of the hungry ghosts of Tibetan Buddhism, whose mouths are button-hole small and stomachs the size of the largest elephant.

For me, 2014 was probably a year much like everyone else; there were highs and lows, fun and challenges.  We bought a house, I had a client removed from the sex offender registry, we vacationed in New York City.  My mother-in-law passed and I was in my first car accident.  Your highlights and low-lights will be different.  In my opinion, setting goals remove happiness and instead create a sense of anxiety that I need to achieve this or that otherwise I will be a failure and unhappy.

Do I want to finish the novel I’m working on in 2015?  Do I want my bowling average to improve?  Of course.  But I’m not willing to sacrifice the present moment for them.

Is life perfect?  Do I know my future?  No.  But am I happy despite it all?  Yes.  Happiness is not an achievement; it’s the process.

May your 2015 be happy.