We all want to be happy. I believe happiness is the biggest goal in our lives. Whatever we do in life, ultimately, we all go to bed with that same desire. The desire of finding destination happiness and never leaving that place again.
So, we get up every day and give our best efforts to do that.
However, sadly, most people get lost along the way. They start their journey with only one idea on their mind – finding happiness, but somewhere down the road, they get distracted by society’s ideas of happiness and they forget what they were looking for in the first place.
Suddenly they convince themselves that the more they achieve, the happier they’ll be. So, they start chasing the idea of a perfect life. A life in which happiness is measured by their achievements, not their actual feelings… They start to compare themselves with others. They start to see life as one big competition. They put their best efforts into becoming the best version of themselves. They challenge themselves. They pursue their goals, they work as hard as they can, they run around in circles until one day, they lose their strength…
There was a time when I was one of these people. All I could think about were my goals. Creating the perfect life. I had this idea in my head that the more successful I am, the happier I’ll be. And at the begging I was…
But after a while, I started realizing that no matter how much I had achieved, I was nowhere near my happiness. I wasn’t feeling the way I thought I’d feel after doing all of those things. My expectations were ridiculously high for me to live up to them…
That is when I decided to just stop and breathe for a while. And trust me, it was the best decision of my life. Because, the minute I allowed myself to rest and the minute I got rid of my guilt ditching work, I felt the greatest sense of relief I’ve ever felt in my life.
And I learned the most underrated lesson in life.
Happiness is not the result of our best efforts. It cannot be measured by our successes, the amount of money we have on our bank account, or how much people we know in our lives. Happiness is the path that we choose to walk. And it can only be measured by the length of our smile, the sparks in our heart and the quality of our life.
Simple as that.
For me, happiness may be waking up in a cozy, mountain cabin. But for you, it might be something else. Like hearing your mother’s voice in the morning. Or spending quality time with your friends.
Whatever it is, at the end of the day, when the party is over and you are all alone by yourself, all that matters is what puts a smile on your pretty face.
So, how about you cut yourself some slack and remind yourself what fills your heart with joy?
Do not wait for tomorrow to find happiness. Do not convince yourself that you have to finish something in order to reach your destination. Happiness is available to you right here, right now. It’s everywhere around you. All you have to do is realize that and start recognizing it in every little thing that lights up your soul on fire. Let go of all of your expectations and listen to what your heart has to say. Follow its voice and enjoy life.
Surrender yourself to your emotions.
Feel, smell, taste, see, hear life like you’ve never before.
Stop chasing happiness and fall in love with your imperfect life.
