i think that our happiness, which comes from having done what our unhappiness motivated us to do, further motivates us, but the origin of motivation, i think, is unhappiness. and most of us are unhappy for the wrong reasons.
most of us work because we have an existential anxiety (read: unhappiness) about what will happen if we don't. the fact that we may love our work (and, sidebar here - which isn't so on the side at all - most of us do not love our work; most of us, at least many of us, loathe it or, best case scenario, tolerate it)....the fact that we may love our work isn't the reason we do it. we do it to make money. because at the root of it, we are terrified (unhappy) about the prospect of not having money. and yes, we may do our work because we have a sense of self-responsibility, but that's not why we do it, either. we do it because the idea of not having money makes us unhappy. even the fact that our work may benefit others isn't really why we do it. we do it because we're unhappy if we don't have money.
i am not saying we shouldn't be unhappy if we don't have money. but i wonder if there is something better to be unhappy about.
most of us reach out to others - in whatever form that takes - be it community activism, forming friendships and hangin' out, or going to the hospital to visit someone who's sick - because we're unhappy -not because we want the world to be a better place (although we do). and not because we like beer and wine and having someone to be there for us - and we for them - when they need us and we need them (although we do). and also not because we wish to be supportive and helpful to the sick - although, as you have probably already determined, we do.
all of these things are the benefits of reaching out - not the motivation.
and yet, despite all the benefits of working and despite all the benefits of reaching out, most of us aren't on top of the world with joy. most of us are not content. why not?
because our unhappiness is the best thing that ever happened to us. it is a gift. and most of us screw it up.
our existential unhappiness is God's way of nudging us off the couch - not just to go to work. not just to be nice to that old lady in the hospital. those are good things - very good things - but they are not enough to make us happy. not for long, anyway.
what God is trying to tell us with our chronic, unending, gone-for-awhile-but-always-creeping-back unhappiness is that He is the answer to our problem. He is the only thing - not even His creation and all the things in it (like a job and great friends) - but He - He is the solution to unhappiness.
God is trying to tell us that.
