It's funny how people try so hard to be happy. The self-proclaimed positivists tell us that happiness is a mindset. Find the bright side in all things and you will be happy. Tell yourself:
I am happy. I am happy. I am happy.
Say that to yourself every morning, every day, every hour and minute.
Happy yet?
If fantasy is your cup of tea, then maybe you are. If you can maintain your fantasy for the rest of your life, then well and good.
But my take on this is that we're becoming weak-minded and cowardly. Sadness and misery, ennui and weariness, these negative feelings are part of the whole package of being human. By constantly denying the existence of these states of mind, do we become better people? I think not. In fact I believe it may lead us to become intolerant and one-dimensional. We foster a culture of denial without even realizing it. Bored? Watch cute videos; problem solved. Unhappy? Find one thing that makes you happy everyday for 100 days, and see the difference (#100DaysofHappy--familiar?)
We turn happiness into a pursuit, the elusive prey hiding in the dark crevices of the daily grind. We turn it into a cure-all. As if the purpose of life is to always have a smile on our faces. The worst part is, we hold on to happiness with deathly grips. Because you know why? We can't stand our own misery.
We can't stand the fact that we are bored and something's not right.
We can't stand the nagging thought that things could be better.
We can't stand the fact that we'll never have enough money to buy eveyrthing we want.
We can't stand the fact that we are WANTING.
The first step to happiness is to not look for it. The next is to know yourself. Know what you want and why you want it. Happiness is just a consequence, with many paths leading to it. Arriving at happiness at one point in time doesn't mean you should stay there forever. You move on with your life. You face the challenges and the facts, and if at times events lead to misery, you face it. You don't talk yourself out of it and just look for the bright side in your pile of shit.
You acknowledge the shit, find a shovel and start digging and cleaning. And then learn to laugh about it (someday).
Let's try it out, #100DaysOfReal, and maybe we'll understand better how we can effectively reduce suffering in the world.
