Do you think happiness is having plenty of possessions even though the rest of your life is in shambles?
Have you ever considered that acquiring, being attached to, and worrying about keeping all those possessions could actually be a source of unhappiness? When is enough enough? Is it ever enough? No it isn’t—not for the person who is looking for happiness in someone or something outside of themselves. Happy people are not worried about what others think about them; they don’t need approval from others, they don’t need to look good, be right, or control the way things turn out. Happy people feel happy because they think happy thoughts. Happy people are happy because they are happy with themselves “just because.” They like themselves. They like others. They are not looking for someone or something outside of themselves to validate them. They are not looking for someone or something outside of themselves to make them happy.
If you aren’t happy “just because,” the chances are pretty great that you are unhappy and might not even know it. Some people don’t realize how unhappy they really are. How can that be?
For many, unhappiness has become normal. Some think this is as good as it gets while others don’t expect to ever be happy. Many unhappy people keep themselves artificially buoyed up with material possessions, successes, wealth, social status, exciting relationships, extramarital affairs, partying, drinking, drugging, and so on. They don’t always acknowledge how unhappy they are because they are too busy trying to look happy. They think they need to look happy to look good to others.
Unhappy people are good people who aren’t happy with themselves. Unlike happy people, unhappy people are always looking for ways to feel good or at least a little bit better. Deep down inside, they don’t like themselves, even though most will never admit it. Because they don’t really like themselves, it isn’t unusual that they don’t like others either—even though they may pretend they do. When people are critical of themselves, they are critical of others. Because they harshly judge themselves, they judge others harshly as well. They engage in behaviors and activities that perpetuate their unhappiness even when their goal is to be happy. Take step towards real happiness by reading the 1st chapter of Good With Me below…
