Have you tried just being happy?
A reminder to myself
Growing up I used to think being happy was a cop out (the irony of my German heritage is not lost on me here). I’d tell myself that the world is full of pain and suffering, so happy people must just be naive to what’s going on. They must not be aware or educated, they must not care. How could you be happy, knowing that <insert vogue complex geopolitical issue> is happening?
I preferred to be serious. Because the world is a serious place! There are serious things happening, with serious people!
And while that is true to some extent, it was also a very limiting worldview because it misses the more important part: that the world is also a beautifully simple place, filled with love and happiness.
As it turns out, choosing the latter makes for a better life and a better world.
This is a note that I wrote for myself on happiness. Sometimes a reminder is all we need.
1. Be yourself
Act authentically. Speak authentically. Be honest with yourself.
Listen, carefully, to what it is that you really want. Who are you when the walls come down? What is really you vs. what you think is the right thing to say/do/feel? You don’t have to be right, you just have to be honest.
Be uniquely you. Imperfectly you.
Be yourself.
2. Accomplish hard things
Do hard things. Every day.
Occasionally, sign up for something really hard, something you might not even be able to do. Accomplish it. Or fail. But give it your all. These moments will create your future memories. They will put a smile on your face.
When given the opportunity, always choose hard.
Accomplish hard things.
3. Respect the science
Direct sunlight in the morning. Walk. Sweat. Avoid algorithms. Calm your mind. Interact with people in your community. Eat whole foods. Keep it simple.
There are a lot of smart people out there spending their lives in labs trying to figure out how our silly little brains work. Maybe we should listen? Maybe we should commit to trying them for a month. For a year. Maybe they don’t work for us, but maybe they do.
Respect the science.
4. Choose to be happy
In every possible moment, choose happiness.
Did you wake up this morning? Did you walk outside today? Did the sun touch your face? Did you laugh? You’ve likely experienced hundreds of miracles today alone. There’s always an opportunity to choose happiness.
Does it really need to be more complicated than that?
Choose to be happy.
And yet, sometimes you’re just not going to be happy. And that’s ok too. But regardless of how badly I’ve wanted there to be more to this story, the truth (for me at least) has been that happiness is nothing but a simple choice made in every moment. It is not a constant. It is not guaranteed. But it is available to me, and the more I choose happiness, the happier I become.