What you need to know:
- How can people find happiness? is it really that important?
- What drives you towards happiness?
These days, the concept of happiness seems ever present on our minds. Every day as we scroll down our Facebook page or look through our WhatsApp messages, we come across many motivational quotes on happiness. And then we keep questioning ourselves: Are we happy?
We reflect on the things that give us joy and how to incorporate more of it into our lives. We talk about how to deal with mental disorders and depression. We try fighting isolation, criticism, and negativity on a regular basis.
According to the World Health Organization (WHO), over four per cent of the world’s population suffers from depression. When people become fatigued or stressed, they find it hard to resolve problems at work and at home which causes depression. Adults are over-stressed with their never ending responsibilities, young people are stressed with their personal battles and children are stressed, looking at the older generation. Everyone is fighting a battle a battle and is in search of peace and happiness.
We hunt for satisfaction where all our problems and our worries are solved. Well don’t you think it’s unrealistic? Can we stay in the same mood forever? We face different situations in our daily lives, everyday. So if we are not built to be happy, what are we made for?
Humans are not built to be happy. Humans are built to survive.
Are we ever happy with what we have? We have always wanted to have more, a bigger house, a promotion in a job, a better lifestyle and the list goes on and on. If we fail to fulfill our needs we get restless and that is exactly where we start inviting stress in our lives.
So what’s the realistic way to be happy?
Throughout the centuries, happiness has undergone various definitions. Happiness can come from helping someone in need, treating others with kindness and more. Appreciate everything that you have been gifted with. Aim for a better future but value your present and learn from your past.
- The reader is a Dubai-based teacher.
