Is Happiness Easy?
We hear it all the time: “Don’t worry. Be happy!” But as simple and sweet that famous line is, is happiness really that easy?
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In today’s world of everyday entrepreneurs and dreamers, society has become a bit more in tune with its inner self. Everywhere you turn, there’s a meme or tweet declaring how simple it is to be happy and to achieve your goals. I think it was the poor economy that forced some of us to use our talents to make a living and this limitless social network world that helped us influence each other. I, myself, have thrown on the rose colored shades of effortless joy but every now and again I question how valid this perception is.
So let’s break this down to understand what happiness really is, starting with the definition of “happy.”
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ˈhapē/adjective
- Great career
- Financially stable
- Security
- Family and friends
- Bomb ass apartment
- A life of luxury and travel
Now the last two aren’t deal breakers but they would be nice. The issue I find is that satisfaction doesn’t always parallel to success. What if you’re satisfied with singing or drawing but you find more success in doing other things, more likely “practical” things, that you aren’t passionate about? So you work everyday punching in and out until you reach a point where you can finally enjoy life and be true to yourself, only you have lost the zeal or energy. I hear this story from many people and it’s so depressing. I don’t think we should ever have to put our heart on hold. However, I do understand that life’s responsibilities can cause us to put our pleasures last.
I would like to ask all the happy people out there these five questions below.
Money can’t buy you happiness?
The saying “money can’t buy you happiness” is mind boggling to me. I get that no amount of money in the world can literally buy you something as invaluable as joy but I do think money can help crack a smile. Money to pay off my student loans would make me ecstatic. A great income that allows me to take care of myself and my family would be fantastic! I usually get irritated when I hear those rich and famous celebrities talk about how easy it is to be happy and that the rest of us should live free, travel the world and be just like them. Unless there’s an airline giving out free tickets and hotels offering free stays, I’d say money does have something to do with the kind of happiness these celebs speak of.
What is the cost of happiness?
Surely nothing comes from nothing. As I said before, satisfaction does not always parallel success. Does happiness sometimes cost a sacrifice? And what if that sacrifice is hard to sacrifice? I’m only 24, so I don’t have it all figured out right now. Maybe, despite what I aspire for myself, my happiness will come from giving up worldly possessions. Maybe some day I’ll realize, I’d be most happy with a writing space, someone to love, and a cup of tea. I don’t know.
Can happiness be selfish?
Not selfish but self-ish. Like many of my peers, I’m starting to gain more ownership of who I am and what I do. However, there’s still this bitter spot of comprising who I am for what others expect of me. Of course people of all age groups deal with this issue but it seems more common and expected of the 20-somethings. You can’t make everyone happy. True. But what if the hurt you cause from your happiness defeats the purpose all together? There is one major move I would like to make but I know it would not make a certain loved one very happy. Do I hurt said loved one and follow what is in my heart whilst still worrying about his/her feelings? I don’t know.
Is it pessimistic to look reality in the face?
I want to be happy but I can’t help but look at my surroundings. The harsh realities can truly burst that happy bubble sometimes. It’s hard to take that stock-photo -leap-into-the-sunset jump when your bank account statement reads “$broke.” How can I enjoy life without spending money? How can you smile when someone has broken your heart? How can you sing when someone you love is sick? Now for the last two, I think we are allotted a few tearful days or even months. But for the ongoing struggles, how does one shine in spite of?
What is success, exactly?
Since we were children, it has been beaten over our heads that success=happiness. The issue is we have never been given a chance to define our meaning of success. Success is hot body, hot boyfriend to then turn into hot husband, great career, mad money, and all around perfectness. As I get more into who I am, I lose interest in some of those things on the list. I’m learning what is my meaning of success. The confusion lies on the matter of how both happiness and success correlate and if the idea of one must be altered to cause the other to happen.
I am honestly looking for answers. With the infinite number of different journeys each of us have, is there really one guide to happiness? Leave your thoughts below!
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