A reflection on happiness
What is real happiness really and how is it defined?
By the individual surely. But so many times that becomes comparative happiness.
The hack is to find what makes you happy and create space for living that life.
Don’t live your life trying to be optimistic for others or because you think it will generate material outcomes (how the law of attraction is many times presented). That’s inauthentic positivity. It will only make things harder and increase the bar for what a happy life is in the long run. Living that way borders with co-dependent and people-pleasing behavior, and that’s a big no-no if your goal is to live from a place of pure joy.
Co-dependency isn’t just something that happens concerning other people, it can also happen with material things or statuses that we believe we need to attain and maintain to have a good and successful life.
Therefore the practice is to be genuinely positive, optimistic, present, and happy for yourself, including your own progress in this life.
Don’t compare your life with others or set outcomes for it that can be measured materially. Simply make it a goal to be truly happy in your core being so that whatever life throws at you, you can start each day with a baseline for joy and gratitude for being alive. Because the challenges will keep showing up until your last living breath.
Make space to love and be grateful for all the little things that happen in your day. Doing so will help you go a long way in achieving a happy state of mind.
Every day can be a new opportunity to do and experience great things. It is your perception of the day that will make it or break it.
Life is too short to not be fully lived authentically and happily. Don’t get caught up in other people’s or society’s definition of what happiness should look like. No one can give you the recipe, and there isn’t a big secret to it. Find your own definition and live from that in a sensible way. That’s what it is and has always been about.
