HAPPY-ISH: EVERYTHING IS A PROBLEM
Strolling around campus, I survey the landscape as I mentally prepare my mind for the wholesome day. As my muscles ache from a harsh leg day the previous day, my mind feels healed. Despite the pain, I am eager for what the day has in store. As I dap up my acquaintances and friends along the way, the major pain from getting up so early has left my locus of cognition. In this period, pain is just a springboard – a propellant to the reality I crave – HAPPINESS. To whoever is reading this: there is a lot of uncertainty in this life: however, one thing is certain: Everything is a problem and that includes HAPPINESS.
The second chapter of Mark Manson’s book: “The Subtle Art of Not Giving A F*ck” reads: “Happiness is a Problem.” That is a deep paradoxical oxymoron, but it’s very simple. You don’t believe me? Well, let’s look at the following examples: You want to be wealthy? By becoming wealthy, you’ll experience isolation, jealousy from your peers, and even more responsibilities. What’s worse? Like Allen Stanford, one little mess up could see your wealth crashing down. Do you want to be in a relationship? Be prepared for the emotional toll, conflicts, and misunderstandings that come with it, as relationships take a lot of time and emotional labor. Do you want to be fit? Be prepared to have very strict routines, track your calories meticulously, and avoid all the pizza and ice cream for the not-so-tasty broccoli and lettuce. Do you want to be attractive? Be ready to replace soda with water, get on a good and simple skincare routine, and have fruits and veggies rather than McDonald’s Hamburgers. You don’t have to break the bank for this; you’ll just have to tweak your habits. Do you want to be famous? Be prepared to have the majority of the public scrutinize your life like they are your family members. The point is that “happiness is a constant work-in-progress because solving problems is a constant work-in-progress.”
From an open perspective, this is not to just say that we don’t deserve happiness; however, we must be open to the ideology that this happiness we deserve must be earned. Judging from the paragraph above, we can conclude that most of the highlighted examples are our routine paths to happiness. However, there are tears, sweat, and sometimes even bloodshed to get to that state of “Happiness” we so rightly crave. This “pain” is the problem – that problem we must solve to achieve our desired state of happiness. This is not to say that happiness doesn’t exist, but true happiness will only occur when you have a problem you enjoy solving. Therefore, you have to set your priorities straight and choose your problems wisely. This isn’t a motivational speech – this is a reality check. Move with realism, or else your comprehension will be flawed.
Happiness isn’t a destination; it’s a journey. Therefore, people must embrace the idea that Happiness is a continuous process – a continuous process of solving problems you enjoy solving. If you want to know more, The Subtle Art of Not Giving A F**k by Mark Manson is a great read for everyone. As always, we’re all in this together. We Rise By Lifting Others.