Happiness Comes Of...

One of my best lifelong friends (hi, Ted!) :) once texted me:

Happiness comes of the capacity to feel deeply, to enjoy simply, to think freely, to be needed... I need you!

Wow, that's just as powerful to me now as the day I first read it. I have shared it with a couple other special people in my life, and the actual meaning sticks with me. The exact quote, authored by Margaret Storm Jameson is:
"Happiness comes of the capacity to feel deeply, to enjoy simply, to think freely, to risk life, to be needed.”

If this is true, I must be (or should be) happy. But I know several people who struggle with the "to think freely" element in their life. What does to think freely mean? Don't we all do that?

I was talking with a friend the other day about secrets, and I used the term "live in the light". I don't want to do things that for whatever reason have to be hidden, from anyone. Have I always been able to do that? Of course not; very few people can make that claim. But when things come up that ping my conscience, I do think, what if everyone knew about this? How would I feel?

I guess an element of this that came up in discussion was keeping secrets from your significant other or spouse. Not necessarily keeping secrets, but not divulging how you really feel about something, not acknowledging the truth (whatever that might be). Obviously some things are better left unsaid (those jeans make you look fat), but why keep secret the more important issues?

I don't know if that's what Storm Jameson was referring to in "think freely", but it's how I understand it. Whatever relationship I am in, I want it to be (as someone else put it) 100% transparent. I'm just thinking freely here... :)