Finding Happiness

  1.  "How good God is to the upright, the Lord, to those who are clean of heart!" (Psalm 73:1)
     
  2. You are in the presence of God. Where have you felt God's goodness in you and around you? Give thanks for those moments.
     
  3. Recall a moment of disappointment. By disappointment, I mean a time when your expectations did not match what had come to pass. What were you hoping for? Why were you hoping for this thing? How did reality "conspire" to prevent your hopes from coming to pass? How did reality differ from your expected outcome?

    This reflection on disappointment might be painful. Acknowledge these feelings as they arise, but remain objective. You can do this by trying to locate this feeling in your body. Then return to the exercise.
     
  4. As you reflect on this moment of disappointment, how did you react to it? 
     
  5. Bring this moment of disappointment to God. Where was God present in this experience of your disappointment? Ask God for the grace to see the world with compassion, not blaming reality for being what it is. Do you notice a change in your hopes or expectations? Do you notice a change in your level of disappointment?
     
  6. Thank God for any insights received. Amen.