The Shift

Lately,
My thoughts
Have been winding down
A path less traveled,
Away from the glimmering,
Elusive facade
Of happiness.
It seems we have
Become prisoners
To its whims,
Forever chasing after it
Like a dog chasing its own tail.
We pin our hopes
On the notion
That acquiring
More possessions,
More experiences,
Will somehow lead us
To the grand finale
Of contentment.
But let me tell you
This truth,
My friends:
Our souls,
Fragile and fractured,
Cannot be fixed by the trivial
Accumulation of stuff.

In this ceaseless pursuit,
We drag our true selves
Along like captive birds,
Endlessly longing
To break free
From the iron bars
Of our circumstances.
But our situation in life?
It cannot change
The indomitable spirit
That resides within
The depths of our beings.
We carry it with us
Wherever we go,
Like a torch
Illuminating the darkest
Recesses
Of our existence.

So,
I have begun to divert
My attention towards
Something
Infinitely more profound.
Something that transcends
The fleeting confines
Of circumstance – joy.
Unlike happiness,
Joy cannot be taken away
By a cruel twist of fate.
It doesn't hinge
On a specific set
Of circumstances.
It's not tethered
To the whims of fortune.
No, joy resides within
The depths of our beliefs,
The very fibers of our being.
It is found in the way
We interact
With the world
And the people in it,
Irrespective
Of who or what
Surrounds us.

Amidst this shift
In perspective,
I must confess
That I have not been
Harboring the conventional
Notions of happiness.
No, I have not been
Enveloped
In its transient embrace.
But that doesn't mean
I am devoid of joy,
Because I have discovered
A freedom
And a resoluteness
Within me
That surpasses
The shallow boundaries
Of mere happiness.

In the face
Of every challenge
And every setback,
I find solace
In the knowledge
That there is beauty
To be unearthed
And gratitude
To be nurtured.
It is a matter of perspective,
My friends,
A matter of looking
At the world
Through the right lens.
Even in the darkest crevices,
A sliver of light
Awaits those
With the courage
To seek it.
And so,
I declare that
I have traded
The elusive dream
Of happiness
For the enduring radiance
Of joy.
It may not be
The conventional choice,
But it is a choice
That resonates
With the very core
Of my being.

In the end,
May we all not be misguided
By the transient allure
Of happiness.
Let us embrace
The boundless
Depths of joy,
Because it is a companion
That will walk
With us
Through the darkest
Valleys
And the sunlit
Peaks
Of our existence.
Whether our circumstances
Change
Or remain
Unchanged,
Joy can be
Our steadfast guide,
Leading us
Towards a life
Truly worth living.