What is happiness? Why do we work hard? Why wake up every day to go to a nine-to-five job tolerating bosses? Humans have since the start of time, trying to decode the secrets to happiness. We associate our personal happiness with the external environment and circumstances. Even though these do result in happiness, it is only momentarily. It is like coming down from a high and then going back to chasing another thing to feel that high again.
Now the question remains; is it possible to be in a constant state of happiness? The simple answer is compassion. Foremost, be compassionate to yourself. You are your first lover. Our minds are astonishing and since happiness is relative, we can train ourselves to perceive our external surroundings in a way that, regardless of the positives and negatives, we are always in a peaceful and nourishing state of mind.
We cannot deny the fact that we are a social species that relies on cooperation and connectivity to survive. Despite that, most of us are in this blanket of detachment, a place of persistent loneliness. And we delude ourselves into thinking that once we find the ‘one’, miraculously the unpleasant will turn into pleasant. Everything will be okay in a blink of an eye. I believe that this ideology is problematic. Dependency is not a bad thing, perhaps it is an integral part of healthy relationships. The problem is that we are putting enormous responsibility and expectation on another person who might still be at war with their own loneliness.
Love is not a burden, it is a door to welcome warmth and support with open arms. Being compassionate to others and yourself is the key to that state of mind we all are thriving for. One major roadblock on our way is the comparison and feeling unfortunate and inferior to those who have more than us. But does it really have to be this way? Instead of comparing ourselves to those more fortunate, if we look at those who may not have what we have, I guarantee you what we will feel is instant pure gratification. It really comes down to our perspective.
We are in control of what we feel. So choose wisely.