Happiness is not the goal for a meaningful life
“It is not without the ability that we can sit with our sadness that we truly understand joy.”
— Kyira Wackett
We are constantly chasing a destination of happiness or joy — thinking that we can summit the mountain and relocate permanently.
Unfortunately, happiness is not an ever-lasting mountain top we can rest upon. It is an emotion and emotions are transient.
Emotions — all emotions — are meant to be felt and experienced in waves.
They are not meant to be a part of our experience and life permanently. That means that when you feel happy, excited, or joyful that, yes, there is an endpoint. And, the good news is that emotions like sadness, anxiety, anger, and despair will also pass.
Rather than see that change and evolution as good or bad, focus on seeing the depth of the human experience that is felt by feeling these different emotions.
See them all as neutral and inevitable.
In fact, I had a professor describe emotions as a gift because each one is a connection to the human experience and brings us closer to the people, places, and experiences in our lives.
And so, it becomes your prerogative to celebrate each of them and remind ourselves that it is in the balance and evolvement of our lives that we can appreciate moments, feelings, and experiences.
If we were happy all of the time, life would be boring.
We would exist in the status quo. We would become stagnant. New ideas, creative endeavors, and reflection would not take place. We would not be presented with the opportunity to truly delve deep into the meaning and purpose of our lives and to feel a sense of conviction and motivation to create a life of value.
How can you shift your perspective with your emotions?
Are there emotions you label as "bad" that we can see as more neutral?
Would there be a way to shift your relationship with happiness?
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