Everyone wants to be happy. But what does that even mean? Is happiness like reaching a final destination after a long trip? Or is it more about the actual journey and experiences you have along the way? Different people look at happiness in very different ways.
For some, happiness is about checking off certain boxes and goals in life. They want a nice house, a fancy job, getting married, having kids, and all the other "ideal life" milestones. If they can obtain those traditional symbols of success and status, they believe that's the secret to being truly happy and content.
But for others, chasing after material and status based achievements is a trap. True happiness comes from internal sources: the quality of your relationships, living with purpose, appreciating simple pleasures, and finding inner peace. Some believe you can be surrounded by all the mansions and money in the world and still feel profoundly unhappy.
There is also the perspective that happiness isn't a final destination you arrive at after doing all the "right" things. Instead, happiness exists in the journey itself, in billions of small moments and choices we make every day. It's the contagious laughter shared with friends over silly jokes. It's the breathtaking sunrise viewed on a morning jog. It's the affectionate snuggle with a pet after a long stressful day.
With this view, happiness isn't a switch that finally gets flipped once all your goals are met. It's something to practice and nurture with your everyday thoughts and actions. Each person's unique journey, with all its ups, downs, triumphs and failures - that's what shapes our capacity for happiness. There is no plane, train or automobile that can drop you off at "Happiness Station" as your final stop.
Some religious and philosophical perspectives take an even more spiritual view of happiness. They believe real happiness springs from living an ethical life of truth, justice and compassion for others. Finding purpose bigger than material pleasures or individual accomplishments. Letting go of negative emotions like greed, anger and jealousy that cloud happiness.
I've heard it said that happiness comes when you stop worrying about being happy all the time and just embrace life's present moments, good and bad. Striving too hard for happiness can in a way prevent us from achieving it. When we obsess over wanting that perfect job, body, bank account or relationship, we lose sight of all the small joys and meaning around us right now.
The happiest people are ones who know happiness isn't a switch that just gets permanently turned on. True happiness ebbs and flows through changing life seasons and emotional waves. Getting stuck in pursuing only one visualization of your "happy" life narrative is limiting. Happiness requires resilience and constantly recalibrating your mindset to find joy in unexpected places.
At the same time, I don't think happiness is just about lowering expectations and being content with whatever you get in life either. There has to be some positive goal-setting, ambition and dedication to meaningful pursuits to fuel a deeper sense of happiness. But it's about striking a balance between those aspirations and simply appreciating the present.
So in the end, I think happiness is most sustainable when it's viewed as an ongoing mindful practice and life journey, not a static destination. A combination of enough modest life accomplishments to give you purpose, but also a whole lot of gratitude for the beauty and relationships you've already been blessed with in each new day. Happiness is both a feeling and a skill we're all constantly learning on this big crazy ride of life.
This is my responses to the hive ghana weekly prompt
