Five random thoughts on happiness
The more I think of it, I think happiness is both the meaning of life and the driver of all decisions we make. But happiness is a thorny and complex thing.
What means happiness to you is a lot different to me, and anyone else. A different set of variables will add up to happiness for everyone, and that's a good thing.
With all that in mind, five random thoughts and musings on happiness.
1. The human right
You deserve happiness. Everyone deserves happiness. Happiness is a fundamental human right.
2. The problem with definition
Most of us are just defining it wrong. I know I did for a loooooonnnnnng time.
(a) First misconception. Happiness is not having everything you've ever wanted.
That's a psychological trick designed by clever marketers who understood the human psyche and designed campaigns and messages to make us love "newness" and encourage us to part with our money to get it. But the problem with newness is that it quickly gets old, and then we're seeking the next something new. It's cyclical and it will make you miserable.
(b) Second misconception. Happiness does not mean you want to lie back and relax and never do anything again.
Happiness, instead, is a state of mind that allows you to contribute with an energy and impact that only you can have, and that makes your tiny part of the world a better place. After that there's a ripple effect. Catch negativity, kill it, create positive energy and watch the ripple effect roll out around you. (The ripple effect also works with negative energy. So we need to watch what type of energy we put out into the world.)
3. The individuality
We are all diverse and brilliant and beautiful. As individuals, each of us is a unique combination of genetics and experiences and knowledge.
Let us embrace that uniqueness, and actively practise self-compassion towards ourselves in the knowledge that we have never existed in this precise shape and form and world before, and we never will again.
Let's give ourselves a break. It's okay to want to try to be better tomorrow and still accept ourselves fully for who we are today.
4. The happy list
Make a long list of things you love to do (take 20 minutes over a crossword, meet a friend for lunch, cut open a melon, walk in a park, read a book, close your eyes and raise your face to the sun), then do one thing off that list every day or week.
The key thing is to do the thing we love without guilt or shame.
This is hard. Practice and repetition helps.
5. Naval Ravikant's definition
My favourite new definition of happiness is from Naval Ravikant (source: Joe Rogan podcast interview).
"Peace is happiness at rest, and happiness is peace in motion. You can convert peace to happiness any time you want, but peace is what you want most of the time."
(Main photo by Austin Schmid on Unsplash)