The Paradox of Happiness

In the pursuit of happiness, we often sacrifice the very thing we are trying to achieve. Happiness is something that we all desire, yet sometimes, the pursuit of it can lead us down a path of self-destruction. We sacrifice our health, relationships, and even our integrity in order to attain this elusive state of being. But what if the key to true happiness lies in the opposite direction?

The problem with the pursuit of happiness is that it is often misguided. We run into the trap that happiness is attached to external sources such as money, success, and material possessions. We are bombarded with messages that tell us we need to work harder, achieve more, and acquire more stuff in order to be happy. We confuse what we are. We are human beings, not human doings. We think we can do our way to happiness by being for example successful. What we fail to realize is that true happiness is an internal state of being. It comes from within and is not dependent on external factors. In the end, you can only be happy, not become it. It is a byproduct of living a life in the present. When we sacrifice these things in the pursuit of happiness, we are essentially sacrificing the very thing that will bring us joy and real success.

Take the example of sacrificing our health in the pursuit of happiness. We work long hours, eat unhealthy food, and skip exercise in order to achieve success in our careers. But what good is success if we are too sick to enjoy it? Our health is our greatest asset, and without it, we cannot fully experience life. In the same way, we may sacrifice our relationships in the pursuit of happiness. We may prioritize work over spending time with family, or compromise our values in order to maintain a relationship. But what good is success as such if we have no one to share it with?
The pursuit of happiness is not inherently bad, but we need to be mindful of the sacrifices we make. ‘What are you left with if you remove success and sacrifice from the happiness equation? Only happiness!’