Are you looking for the meaning of life and not quite sure how to find your personal happiness? Then you feel like many other people. You’re not an isolated case with that.
“The pursuit of happiness is as old as humanity” — Seneca
Going on a quest for happiness and ultimately being successful is not that easy. Each of us is an individual and happiness means something different to each of us. But you should say goodbye to one thought… that happiness is a coincidence and you just have to wait until it comes to you…
The difference between happiness and being happy
Happiness describes various external circumstances that occur and have a positive effect on our lives. They can happen by chance or as a result of long hard work.
For example, you can play the lottery once and win a higher sum immediately. That’s luck. You didn’t have to make any major efforts and still made money. However, this kind of happiness is very rare and, above all, cannot be foreseen or planned. After all, you can’t make a living playing the lottery.
Theoretically speaking, there is a chance of a big win, but you cannot assume that. But luck doesn’t always have to happen by chance. If you’ve studied for three years and then hold your bachelor’s degree in your hands, that’s luck too. But here the difference is that you worked for it and consciously planned this moment of happiness.
In contrast to playing the lottery… being happy, on the other hand, is not necessarily defined by external circumstances, but arises out of yourself. You don’t need to win the lottery or a bachelor’s degree to be happy.
Rather, it describes a persistent emotional state that is influenced by your attitude and way of thinking. Which does not mean that being happy cannot also lead to happiness… You can be happy about anything, that is an individual matter. Ultimately, happiness is just what you make it…
How to find happiness
To find your happiness, you have to go the way they’re — not the other way around. Many people think that when happiness comes around the corner, they will finally be happy. You wait and thus move into a passive, almost humble attitude.
If contrary to expectations, happiness does not come, they are understandably unhappy — a vicious circle. Life doesn’t just consist of happy chance events and fateful encounters. Rather, you have to get active and take your luck into your own hands.
The magical idea of happiness falling over us like an avalanche is, unfortunately, a bit unrealistic. If it does happen, that’s an exception and not the rule. Happiness can also be enjoyed much more if you’ve really done something for it. The feeling of happiness is not only more intense, but it also lasts significantly longer.
When will I find my happiness?
This question can be answered quickly. When you start looking for it, do something about it and change your inner attitude.
It is also important to recognize that happiness is subjective. What makes other people happy doesn’t have to apply to you. This also applies to the path you have to take to find your happiness.
For some it is easy and carefree, for others it is difficult and rocky. That is unfairly clear, but that’s the way it is. Biographical events, wishes, talents, and much more are involved.
So, let’s find out which are these five ways that can lead us to our happiness.
Don’t blame other people for your happiness
If you’re unhappy right now, don’t try to plug this hole in your life with a partner right away. Many people think that new love is the greatest happiness in life. After all, with the right person by your side, you can only be happy.
But that’s only partly true. Of course, a fulfilling partnership is a wonderful thing and it can make you very happy. But happiness in life does not consist of that, because it cannot be made dependent on other people.
Partnerships and friendships should be a complement, not a requirement, for a happy life.
In addition, the risk of getting involved with the wrong people is higher when we are under the pressure to be happy. Even better, you can make this decision based on your gut instinct. So
don’t try to find your happiness through other people anymore, but only through yourself!
Try to live in here and now
You cannot find your happiness in the past or the future. Being happy only works in the present. Everything that has happened is beyond your control.
Many people block their current happiness because they harbor grudges against their own past or the people associated with it. But that doesn’t bring anything but trouble. It can’t be changed anyway, so you should let the past rest.
Originally posted on Medium
