Melanie thinks, “[T]here’s no map to paradise. There is only the dream that such a place exists, as does the desire to possess it.” What do you think of this statement? Do you agree with Melanie? What would paradise look like to you?
Paradise, to me is a fantasy, it is momentary. I can feel like I am in Paradise while lying on a beautiful beach, but it is momentary, reality eventually sets in. If I believed in heaven I guess that would be Paradise, but I’m not sure I do.
As to there being a map to paradise, I do not really understand the concept. I think we can strive for happiness, but it is not really in our control.
I think you are in paradise when you are happy. Is there a map for this? If so, someone please tell me how to order it? Amazon??
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We create our own luck. We create our own reality. We create our own paradise. The route to true happiness is different for everyone. And as the old cliche says, “happiness is fleeting.” Life is transitory, ever evolving. So happiness might or might not last for a long time. You might have to pivot to find it again. And again. And again. . . .
For me, paradise is many things. Security. I learned that from my parents, who survived the Great Depression. For them, happiness was knowing their house was paid for and they would never be homeless. And they had a few $$ in the bank for necessities. Their lives were that basic. My father used to joke, “Well, my Social Security check came so we can eat this month,” as he greeted me from his comfy chair in his cozy family room in the house they had paid off decades earlier.
It’s not so funny these days, as I keep checking the Social Security website to ensure it still loads, my account is still there, and watch my bank account anxiously . . .
Paradise is also having healthy children and other family members. Paradise is hugs from my sons and beautiful grandnieces when they run up to the front door & then off to their room in my house because they are here to spend time with me. Paradise is getting on the plane to spend time on Maui, my Happy Place, several times a year. Paradise is going to band rehearsals tonight and tomorrow night, learning new music for our upcoming concerts.
I think paradise means different things to different people. For me, it feels like paradise when I’m happy and content with my life – something that is becoming much more difficult to achieve with all of the problems in the world.