happiness is a problem

What is life to you? What is your end goal when you lay your head down on your pillow at night? What is your purpose?

For most, the end goal is to just be happy. Such a simple word that really anyone could tell you the definition of, but how many people will say they feel it?

Everyone has felt happiness at points in their life, just as one has felt sadness, anger, and disgust. It's an emotion. But how many people will say they are truly happy?

Happiness is a problem. Seemingly everyone is chasing the dream of being happy. Having a perfect life is extremely easy to picture, but extremely difficult to make a reality. I’d even argue, impossible.

You will never be happy in that way. Not with the perfect idea of happiness you may have, that is. Life will never be perfect; that’s life. I think accepting that is the first step to achieving happiness.

Contentment: a state of happiness and satisfaction.

Not perfection, but satisfaction. Being okay where you are. Being okay with imperfection.

I feel contentment is a powerful word. A more meaningful word than happiness, even. More achievable I would say. You don’t have to have everything fit to be content, you just have to be okay with an unfinished puzzle.

A puzzle. What is the most enjoyable part of it? Is it the feeling of being finally finished? Finally seeing the perfect picture? That five minutes where you sit down enjoying what you just made? Or was it the process, the journey of getting there? Those five minutes of satisfaction are nice, right? But, then what?

You’re done, you’ve made it. Is this the feeling you were looking for? Is it everything you dreamed?

Probably not.

Perhaps it was what it took to get there? Just maybe? Interesting.

Happiness is very complex and it has taken me well over a year to really begin to figure it out, the best I can, that is.

If all you do is chase it you will never get it.

Believe it or not you aren’t going to find pure happiness in someone, or something, like most would think. No person, achievement, possession, or amount of money will satisfy. Happiness is really a personal battle between you and your expectations. It's a hard thing to accept because everyone wants someone or something to fill that empty void, but it's just not realistic.

You can't blame your unhappiness on another person.

Anyone can leave. At any time. I know, I know, not something you want to think, but people don’t have to stay in your life. It's sad to think about, but one day your significant other or your best friend could just wake up and decide they are done, completely done with the relationship, no ifs, ands or buts. You can’t control other people. But you can control yourself.

It’s important to have people in your life. It's good to feel things. People need people. Just as long as you make sure not to lose yourself in the process.

You are still you without them.

You are still you without the money, without the achievements, without possessions, without the popularity.

Who are you?

Do you like you?

Don’t let this dishearten you, more so, let it encourage you. Perhaps this is an eye opening you have been waiting for. You have yourself forever.

I think that’s beautiful.

You also can’t blame your unhappiness on your past.

You are not your past.

You are in control, take it back.

Make yourself who you aspire to be. You are never too far and it’s never too late. Take a step back, find yourself. The real you.

That is the secret to happiness. You.

Are you living to be happy or living, happy?