Schemes of Happiness

“All schemes of happiness that are centered in this world, are always doomed to a final frustration…For some souls, and at some times, the life of learning, humbly offered to God, is, in its own small way, one of the appointed approaches to Divine reality and Divine beauty.” (--from The Weight of Glory by C.S. Lewis)

Most of us spend our lives inventing and revising schemes for happiness. If someone asked you right now to list three things that would make you happy, what would your answer be? What if all three of these scenarios happened? Then what? Would you be content for the rest of your life? I doubt any of us shall find complete contentment in this world. Which leads to the natural conclusion that true, lasting happiness cannot be attained during this lifetime, but we can hope for it during our retirement in heaven.

So, what do we do with these years we have left on this earth? C.S. Lewis suggests a life of learning. This sounds good to me, since I enjoy learning, as long as I am able to pursue whatever interests me without any time pressure. I prefer subjects that require reading, theorizing, and writing over subjects that require practical application. Maybe this is why I find it difficult to practice the virtues of patience, unconditional love, and trust, even though I’ve spent so much time studying these topics.