Well-Being vs. Happiness

I was running in the rain today with my trusty sidekick Lucky and somehow started thinking about the H word. Everybody seems to be transfixed on being "happy" but I have to say when I check in with myself to see how it's going and I ask myself if I'm happy, I falter a bit. Well sure I'm happy-- I mean I should be-I'm healthy, I have all kinds of great people in my life and I'm doing what I love--but somehow happy isn't the word I'd use. It seems to require a bubbly-ness that takes alot of energy to sustain...I'd say what I feel is more subtle, more enduring...maybe it's well-being...?

One of my favorite writers is Eckhart Tolle and he said once that if you're aware and living in the present moment, you're either in a state of acceptance, enjoyment, or enthusiasm. Sometimes, like when I don't hear back from potential clients or things don't happen the way I think they "should", I'm doing my best to be in that state of acceptance. In fact, I'm kindof struggling to get there. But I'm realizing now that accepting that state is a sort of well-being...a sort of peace. When I was running in the rain today, I accepted the fact that it was raining. And then after accepting it, it started raining harder. I accepted that. My dog and I were soaking wet, but before the end of the run, I was actually enjoying the rain (not sure my dog was:)

I hope you're able to find acceptance and that feeling of well-being in whatever stage you're in right now, in whatever's happening to you at the moment. And if not, well, accept that too. It will change, you'll see.