The Secret Lies in You
Are you happy?
The answer to this question may not be as easy as it seems. Each person may have their own viewpoint, some practical, some implausible, and some even contradictory.
Social media has greatly influenced our lives to such an extent that we actually rely on it even for daily struggles. And happiness or wellness is one such struggle.
However, despite all the social media platforms being filled with ‘happiness hacks,’ the statistics paint a picture that contradicts everything we might expect from this happiness. People are becoming lonelier and more stressed than ever.
The reason?
Earlier, people wished for pleasure. Now they are in pursuit of it.
And Yale University professor Dr. Laurie Santos supports this idea, stating, “When we make happiness our goal, it becomes a cause of mental exhaustion.”
To view it as the highest goal in itself paradoxically results in feelings of fear and hopelessness since it is an ephemeral state of mind that never stays in one place. It doesn’t have the tendency to stick around one particular individual for too long, but rather fluctuates constantly in life.
Therefore, when someone pursues happiness on a consistent basis, they are left feeling disappointed because of its inconsistency.
What seems like an achievement ends in a self-defeating feeling.
Moreover, when happiness equates to success, unhappiness becomes failure. But life is not a smooth road. It is filled with grief, obstacles, and downfalls along the way. So, when the objective is always to be happy, how can a person cope with the negative emotions associated with difficulties?
Well, they cannot. They feel reluctant to accept their feelings, let alone process them. This gradual denial accumulates into frustration and dissatisfaction with life.
The ideology of running after joy seems reasonable until hardships strike.
So, happiness must be an emotional reaction that comes naturally. We must also accept that it is indeed fleeting, but we should hope that even when it fades away, it will eventually come back again. Our lives have good and bad times, and happiness can be found in both. Good days give us pleasure, but difficult days give us lessons and help us grow as individuals.
True bliss lies in contentment and acceptance.
The focus should be on values and good deeds, and happiness will follow.
It’s all around us; we just have to look for it.
Don’t run after it; let it come to you. It’s not a mission; it’s a tender emotion. And emotions are not followed; they are simply felt…