Sometimes I wonder, where are the happy people? Seriously, for all the articles, books and even research papers that are around which are devoted to happiness, all the daytime chat show hours, we seem to still sit around being miserable a fair amount of the time.
I've been guilty of this myself. It's easy to be happy, I've said, you just have to live in the moment. Enjoy the blue sky today, the fact that you can read and write, the knowledge that there is food in the fridge and a warm bed for tonight. Appreciate what you have, life's little pleasures. Especially because not everybody in the world or even our own city has all these things.
That's all well and good. But if we're really honest, it's not enough is it?
In Australia where I live we are seeing high rates of depression, which is a potentially fatal illness. We recently had a depression and suicide awareness day, called RUOK? The idea behind it was to destigmatise depression and invite people to start honest conversations with each other about how they are travelling in life.
But even apart from depression and stressful life events, many of us are just unhappy with our lot at any given time. I've found that I'm happier for want of a better word, when it's not all about me and what I want or even what gifts I have.
How about you? Where do you find happiness?
I am amazed at the amount of unhappiness around. Perhaps people are too busy in our Western society - working harder for more, yet getting no contentment. We place our means of happiness in material things, yet they fail to deliver. Easier said than done, but adopting an attitude of gratitude really does make a difference (even if it is small to start with).
ReplyDeleteGreat points Debbie, thank you!
ReplyDeleteI think happiness is found in a whole lot smaller ways than people think. I think it is more about thinking about the one small present moment you are in and thinking, "Right now, everything is fine." Not earth shattering. Just simple.
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