Pursuit of Happiness - a task of a lifetime
A short-term ecstatic emotion, a vague state of mind or a self-taught lifestyle?
Probably all of the above. One thing is for sure, we all crave for happiness. Once you experience it you don´t want to miss it, this gentle but efficient drug. But what exactly happens in your body when you feel light as a feather in the wind or solid as a rock in the ocean?
There are four types of "Happy Chemicals" that are released in our brain:
Dopamine, the reward chemical
Eating chocolate, recieving a hug or going for a run can stimulate one or multiple happy chemicals and make you feel loved, accomplished or just joyful.
We all want to feel happy one way or another. I believe the goal is to experience positive feelings in your everyday life, may they show through a loud laughter or a profound calmness. To do so, I have put together the key factors of making you a genuinely happy person.
Listening to yourself
It is crucial for you to think about who and what makes you feel good. The sooner you know, the quicker you can adjust your life around your individual necessities for long-term happiness.
I feel happy when I open my curtains in the morning and look at an azure blue sky with few clouds sitting gracefully on this homogenous scenery. I feel happy when the sunrays spontaneously shine through these clouds as if to mimic a smirk.
This may seem like an abstract example, however noticing that good weather and a warm climate have a strong impact on my mental health paves the way to better my own quality of life by then following step two:
Taking action+ thinking outside of the box
We have all heard the words "Follow your dreams" and "Life is too short" before. These sentences all convey the same fundamental meaning → your happiness matters.
But to achieve that, one needs to take risks or concider the "unthinkable" to open up hidden treasures full of new possibilities. As someone who has lived in a foreign country, I am convinced that changing scenery and exploring new cultures can be a truely healing and mind-opening experience. Taking "drastic" decisions such as moving out or quitting your job can seem scary and unsafe, however could also be a turning point which you will look back at one day and be really proud of. It is unevitable that we don´t always know what we want at all time. Trying, failing and learning are the buiding blocks to get to know yourself and the world around you and realizing where and how you feel like your best self.
Maintaining healthy relationships
On a social note, we need to surround ourselves with the right people. Energy converts into energy. Your aura affects your social circle and vice versa.
I know that I am the happiest around people that share my humour as well as similar values and interests to mine. There is no point in trying to fit in somewhere, where you were never meant to be. Time and effort can take you places in many aspects of life, but when it comes to relationships we need to have the courage to let certain people go, so that others can come in their place; "When one door closes another one opens".
Following these steps + knowing that life doesn´t go by a rule book is the best way (or at least a good start) to use life‘s potential and becoming a fulfilled human.
I wish you all to pursue and find happiness today, tomorrow and in 20 years.
Remember: "Der Weg ist das Ziel" roughly translated: the road is the goal.
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