“Many persons have a wrong idea of what constitutes true happiness. It is not attained through self-gratification but through fidelity to a worthy purpose.” ~ Helen Keller
“The purpose of our lives is to be happy.” ~ Dalai Lama
How many of us were told as children that your purpose in life was to be happy? How many of us were told that the purpose of your life was to get a good job that paid well so that you could have all the other wonderful things in life? You know, marriage, family, etc. ?
I can honestly say I don’t ever remember being told that my purpose in life was to be happy. I was told if I got an education, got a good job, found a wonderful wife, had kids, raised a family, etc. I would be happy!
I was also taught through the spoken word and unspoken actions was that my self-worth, value, & purpose in life, were tied to what other people believed, what other people wanted, or what made other people happy, and if I did that, I would be happy!
Well that was my belief for a lot of years only to find out it was a bunch of ****.
A Long Journey
It has taken me a long time to learn that I cannot make myself happy by trying to please others or by thinking I am responsible for everyone else’s happiness.
It was a long hard journey to get to this point where I am driven to define what truly makes me happy and it doesn’t have anything to do with others.
I have learned the hard way that my happiness is solely dependent upon me, my thoughts and my actions.
Why Am I Writing This?
With everything going on in the world these days it can be hard to find happiness. There is so much negativity and angst being shoved in our faces that it can be hard to separate yourself from the constant barrage of negativity.
I believe this is especially with the younger generations who have been raised on social media where their self-worth and value comes from the number of likes they receive, the amount of followers they have, or by comparing themselves to the celebrity influencers who guide them.
Happiness in an inside job that starts with your thoughts, because your thoughts (which drive your actions) are the only thing you do control. Trying to control external factors or thinking you can achieve happiness by acquiring external things is futile.
A Few Questions?
If you should find yourself feeling or being unhappy, please don’t look to the external world thinking the answers are waiting there for you. One more like on social media, or the newest iPhone isn’t going to bring you happiness!
It begins when you turn inward and start asking the tough questions like:
- Am I truly happy?
- If I am happy, why is that?
- If I am not, why is that?
- What must I accomplish in my lifetime in order to leave this place satisfied and complete?
- What changes do I need to make starting today in order for me to achieve the answers to #4?
- If I only had 1 year to live, what would I do differently than what I am doing today?
- When will I start this transformation?
And that is all I have to say about that…
