The Secret of Happiness
Lessons on happiness from a weekend mountain climb
This past weekend I climbed Ampersand Mountain in Upstate New York with Warrior Coaching.
Arriving at the top I was overwhelmed with the beauty and views of the surrounding peaks, forest and lakes. The photo is pretty good 😎 but being there was absolutely amazing.
The hike up and back was tough with a mix of terrain that included “balance beaming” on logs over creeks and some very steep, almost rock climbing type sections. It was more exhausting than I expected with the round trip journey was around 8.5km with 600 meters of elevation gain.
Focusing on the Next Step
It was the sort of hike where we really needed to focus on the next step ahead.
The trail was so rooted and muddy, that if I wasn’t 100% focused on the next step, I risked tripping and falling, and at some points on the trail, a fall could have had some pretty severe consequences.
With that focus on every step, I would forget to look up. I would go long stretches without looking around at the forest. I would forget to notice the trees, leaves, flower and spectacular views.
Isn’t life just like that at times??
We get so caught up in our day to day that we forget to notice the beauty around us, we forget to notice the spectacular views, we forget to be thankful for the blessings that abound in our lives.
Drops of Oil
As I hiked along with my head down, focusing on the next step, I was reminded of the story that King Melchizedek told Santiago, the shepherd boy in The Alchemist by Paola Coehlo.
A merchant sent his son to learn the Secret of Happiness from the wisest of men. The young man wandered through the desert for forty days until he reached a beautiful castle at the top of a mountain. There lived the sage that the young man was looking for.
However, instead of finding a holy man, our hero entered a room and saw a great deal of activity; merchants coming and going, people chatting in the corners, a small orchestra playing sweet melodies, and there was a table laden with the most delectable dishes of that part of the world.
The wise man talked to everybody, and the young man had to wait for two hours until it was time for his audience.
The Sage listened attentively to the reason for the boy’s visit, but told him that at that moment he did not have the time to explain to him the Secret of Happiness.
He suggested that the young man take a stroll around his palace and come back in two hours’ time.
“However, I want to ask you a favor,” he added, handling the boy a teaspoon, in which he poured two drops of oil. “While you walk, carry this spoon and don’t let the oil spill.”
The young man began to climb up and down the palace staircases, always keeping his eyes fixed on the spoon. At the end of two hours he returned to the presence of the wise man.
“So,” asked the sage, “did you see the Persian tapestries hanging in my dining room? Did you see the garden that the Master of Gardeners took ten years to create? Did you notice the beautiful parchments in my library?”
Embarrassed, the young man confessed that he had seen nothing. His only concern was not to spill the drops of oil that the wise man had entrusted to him.
“So, go back and see the wonders of my world,” said the wise man. “You can’t trust a man if you don’t know his house.”
Now more at ease, the young man took the spoon and strolled again through the palace, this time paying attention to all the works of art that hung from the ceiling and walls.
He saw the gardens, the mountains all around the palace, the delicacy of the flowers, the taste with which each work of art was placed in its niche. Returning to the sage, he reported in detail all that he had seen.
“But where are the two drops of oil that I entrusted to you?” asked the sage.
Looking down at the spoon, the young man realized that he had spilled the oil.
“Well, that is the only advice I have to give you,” said the sage of sages.
“The Secret of Happiness lies in looking at all the wonders of the world and never forgetting the two drops of oil in the spoon.”
We go through seasons in our lives, seasons when we are very focused on the “drops of oil” and other seasons when we focus on “the wonders of the world”.
The story ends with…
The shepherd said nothing. He had understood the story the old king had told him.
A shepherd may like to travel, but he should never forget about his sheep.
Santiago interpreted this as reminder to pursue his personal legend, but to also never forget about his responsibilities.
In the busyness of our lives, let’s pursue our Bigger Things. Let’s ensure that we take time to look up and around at the “wonders” and miracles all around us. But at the same time, not forget about our “drops of oil”, the small details of our lives and our responsibilities.
That is the secret of happiness.
To Your Bigger Things!
Brad 💕👊
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