People’s perception of happiness has not changed much over the past decades since Ancient Greek and Roman times.
Though most people still believe that it has changed and there are more unhappy people today than ever before, truth be told it’s more about the fact that we’re more connected than ever before.
Even though one of the main objectives of technology is to connect people around the globe, it comes with a price. It seems that all this technology makes people lonely and depressed.
And whilst it’s true that technology has changed, I believe human nature has not. The story of people being unhappy has been around since the beginning of human existence.
So how can you be happy when nothing makes you happy?
Today, as in the past people still ask the same questions:
Do I have more?
How long will I live?
Do the people around me have my best interest at heart?
And on and on it goes…
People have asked those questions for centuries and I’m here to tell you it’s not a helpful way to approach life. Then or now.
When you think in such a way, you’re programming your mind to believe that other things or people make you happy and that it’s Impossible to be happy without them.
That’s the deep hole between us and happiness, the moment we start associating happiness with people, money, and material things is the moment we won’t find any good reason to remain happy when we simply don’t feel like it.
Bear with me here
The solution to happiness is not about self, rather, it’s the art of making yourself useful to humanity and the people around you. Remember the old saying, the way to be happy is to make someone else happy? It’s so true.
We think we can be happy by getting everything we want but what about the time when this no longer fills your needs the way it used to?
When the job doesn’t feel like a decent job anymore?
When being in a relationship doesn’t feel right?
What about the moments of uncertainty?
It all comes down to this. The reason why all of these physical things are sometimes meaningful is because of your own internal level of happiness. This is primarily programmed into us by nature.
Unless you learn how to charge the joy from the inside, you will never consistently be able to access happiness, no matter what’s happening in your world.
Here’s how it has worked for me: I love money and everything life has to offer, but that’s not the reason why I’m happy every single day. I am just happy.
It’s my natural go-to place every day.
Now here’s a question for you; is that in your control? Can you be happy by simply being?
Reflect on that for a moment. This could help change your entire perspective of happiness, how to get it and more importantly how to keep it.
All you need is to change your concept of yourself as being a happy person, on the inside.
The moment you do this every single day, you’ll find more reasons to be happy.
“It isn’t what you have or who you are or where you are or what you are doing that makes you happy or unhappy. It is what you think about it.” ― Dale Carnegie
And with that said, here’s some paradoxical commandments that might help pave the way to happiness
People are illogical, unreasonable, and self-centered.
Love them anyway.
If you are successful, you will win false friends and true enemies.
Succeed anyway.
The good you do today will be forgotten tomorrow.
Do good anyway.
Honesty and frankness make you vulnerable.
Be honest and frank anyway.
The biggest men and women with the biggest ideas can be shot down by the smallest men and women with the smallest minds.
Think big anyway.
People favor underdogs but follow only top dogs.
Fight for a few underdogs anyway.
What you spend years building may be destroyed overnight.
Build anyway.
People really need help but may attack you if you do help them.
Help people anyway.
Give the world the best you have and you’ll get kicked in the teeth.
Give the world the best you have anyway.
― Kent M. Keith, The Silent Revolution: Dynamic Leadership in the Student Council
1 Comment
It is very important for us to be happy. Your article has been enlightening and fun to read and I am grateful so thank you for sharing.