Time to be happy is now; Snoopy says here’s how
This column was adapted from a Unity of Chattanooga talk.
One day back in my 20s, I was sitting in my office staring at a “Peanuts” cartoon I’d tacked beside my Disgruntled Employee of the Month sticker. In the cartoon, Snoopy was lying atop his doghouse, and Charlie Brown was standing next to him saying, “I’m sorry, Snoopy. I wish I could stay home all day and make you happy.”
“That’s OK,” Snoopy’s thought bubble said, “I’m already happy.”
This cartoon slayed me. At the time I was working in community mental health. I had three large dogs who were the center of my life and who it pained me to leave every morning. The cartoon tapped into both my desire to quit my job and the guilt I felt about leaving my dogs home alone all day, where, I was sure, they were bored, lonely and unfulfilled.
A few years later, my boyfriend (who would later become my husband) would suggest that the dogs were fine, but that perhaps it was I who was bored, lonely and unfulfilled. He was right, of course. But I’d need more insight than that before I could change my life for the better.
So I went back to the cartoon and studied it. And I saw that it was more than just a reflection of my sad state of affairs. It also spoke volumes about relationships, about the stories we tell ourselves and about the assumptions we make about what we and others want and need and deserve. In short, that cartoon spoke volumes about how to be happy, but I had to look closely to see the specifics. Happiness is a topic worth thinking about any time of year, but especially at the beginning of a new one, when we’re more motivated to make changes for the positive. Here’s what that Snoopy cartoon taught me.
› Lesson 1: Snoopy is happy because he believes he is already happy.
Our thoughts define us. Sam Harris, neuroscientist and the author of “Waking Up: A Guide to Spirituality Without Religion,” wrote, “Every experience you have ever had has been shaped by your mind. Every relationship is as good or as bad as it is because of the minds involved.” If you think negative, sad, frightening thoughts, then you will feel negative, sad and frightened. If you distrust, you will invite distrust. If you focus on what’s going well, what you look forward to and what feels good in your life, then you will feel hopeful, contented and grateful.
› Lesson 2: Snoopy is happy because he wants what he already has.
Snoopy wants to lie on his doghouse, receive after-school visits from Charlie Brown and the gang, and occasionally fight the Red Baron. Because this is what he actually does, he is very content. Recognizing the good you bring into your life is known as gratitude. Without gratitude, what is the point of pursuit?
Lesson 3: Snoopy is happy because he has at least one deep friendship. Charlie Brown might not be very self-actualized, but he cares deeply for Snoopy, and Snoopy knows it and cares deeply for him. Countless research studies have shown that the quality of our life is only as good as the quality of our relationships.
› Lesson 4: Snoopy is happy because he lives in the moment.
Snoopy isn’t waiting until he publishes a book or finds a girlfriend or retires to be happy. He’s figured out that tomorrow is today and that what he’s doing right now is his life. We should all be so smart.
› Lesson 5: Snoopy is happy because he lives simply.
Snoopy doesn’t clutter his life with unnecessary toys, activities or relationships. He was living simply before Real Simple magazine insisted we all needed a subscription to figure out how. Like Snoopy, most of us know what is serving us and what — and who — is distracting and/or toxic. Snoopy would put it this way: Clean out your doghouse.
Because Snoopy has grasped Lessons 1-5 (the power of positive thought and the importance of gratitude, friendship, living in the moment and simplicity), he has grasped all-important …
› Lesson 6: Snoopy is happy because he isn’t looking for something or someone else to fix his life or make it better.
Now when I think about Charlie Brown apologizing to Snoopy for not staying home and making him happy, what I think is, Why the hell does Charlie Brown think he alone knows what Snoopy needs and that what Snoopy needs is something Charlie Brown is uniquely able to provide? Perhaps because Charlie Brown hasn’t learned …
› Lesson 7: We are all responsible for our own happiness.
Leave it to a little dog to lead the way.
Dana Shavin’s memoir, “The Body Tourist,” is available from Barnes & Noble, Star Line Books and Amazon. Her email is dana@danashavin.com and her website is Dana shavin.com. Connect with her on Facebook at Dana Shavin Writes.