The
Cocktail Party Life
“We
are constituted so that simple acts of kindness...have a positive
effect on our long-term moods. The key to a happy life, it seems, is
the good life: a life with sustained relationships, challenging work,
and connections to community.”
Paul
Bloom, Ph.D.
Does
anyone truly enjoy cocktail parties? I'm talking about the ones where
you walk about, glass of bubbly white wine in hand, nibble rich
cheeses off artisan crackers, and make small talk with total
strangers, whom, in all likelihood, you'll never meet again in your
life. I'm not sure when this form of social discourse evolved or why,
but for me, it's the antithesis of “the good life” Dr. Bloom
describes in the quote above.
We
humans are endlessly creative in the ways we attempt to prop-up our
ailing egos. We do everything in our power to be recognizable in a
crowd of the “right” people. We see it in the halls of Congress,
in cathedrals, churches, and synagogues, in the workplace,
and in our private homes. We want to be happy, and we somehow think
that being seen in certain places by certain chosen people will get
us to the promised land.
But
happiness is an inside job—a spiritual job. It comes from being
connected, not to the “rich and powerful,” but to one's own soul,
and living from a place of soul-expression. It is personal
authenticity, deep-rooted relationships, and love of community that
engenders contentment and joy. It is engaging in work that enriches
one's own life, but also the lives of others, and it comes from
sharing one's God-given gifts with a world in need of them.
Cocktail
parties are, at best, a silly diversion from reality. If happiness is
what you seek, jump into your own life with both feet. And hold
someone's hand when you do it.
In
the Spirit,
Jane
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