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I know that this may just sound like telling you what you've always heard ("Just be happy!") but I'm going to quote my graduation speech, because in it I tried
by thetabyte 14y ago
I know that this may just sound like telling you what you've always heard ("Just be happy!") but I'm going to quote my graduation speech, because in it I tried as hard as I could to express a lesson I learned about happiness.
"As I’ve said before, we’ve learned many lessons during our time here, but if there is one I could share with you, it would be the difference between greed and happiness. It is alright to make your own happiness a priority in your life—actually, it’s quite healthy. It’s not greedy to try to make yourself happy. You just have to properly understand the difference. Greed is the acquisition of enjoyment by taking what you do not have. What most people forget, is that when you get whatever it is, you’ll only want more. Greed only begets greed. Happiness is enjoying what you have. Happiness is learning to be content with that which is good about your life. There will always be something you don’t have. There will always be something you could have done better. There will always be things you fail at. Being happy is remembering that despite this, there is still plenty to enjoy in your life. If there’s anything I can ask you to do with your short time on this Earth, it’s to be happy."
Further, from a piece of writing I did:
"I have seen many people who fail to prioritize their own happiness. I work very closely with someone who does so. They work tirelessly doing something they love, and they are quite good at it. They help countless people, and they do a fantastic job achieving everything they want. But they are miserable. In everything they do, they only see failure. They see what they have not done, and what they did not achieve, and they see the same in the actions of others. Despite their successes, which they readily recognize, they fixate upon that which they did not do. And so, no matter how much they achieve, nor how successful they are, they will always have a reason to be miserable. It’s horrifying. I cannot imagine living my life in this manner. It would be a life without purpose."
And so, try to remember, there will always be more. There will always be something you didn't do, or could have done. But focus on what you did do. How you have succeed. Accept it, and enjoy it. There is no greater standard to live up to. Love what you've done, and be happy :)
- swecker 14y agoUntil now I don't think I have ever thought of the idea that greed could be applied to anything non-materialistic. I fall into the same category as the OP and many others who replied here: I'm in my mid twenties, have all my needs covered, yet feel as if I've been missing out on some greater destiny that has been set for me. My life is good, I have accomplished many things and I can and should be happy about them, but I find myself being "greedy" for more. I find myself looking for happiness in things (experiences and accomplishments in this case) that I don't actually possess rather than just enjoying the things that I do have. Thank you for the insight.
- thetabyte 14y agoI'm glad I could help somewhat. Believe it or not, that's my high school graduation speech, that I delivered a month of two ago. A lot of that lesson was actually driven by the college acceptance process, as well as witnessing a parent do to themselves what I mentioned in the second portion.
- FrojoS 14y agoVery well said. Thank you. The only part I didn't get was the end of the second text: > It would be a life without purpose. I understand, that this might not seem to be a fulfilling life to you. Though, these people can still have a purpose. It doesn't have to be happiness. As an example, take the nurse or doctor who works unbearable hours in an emergency room, or the soldier who sacrifices his life for others. Some of these people might never be happy, but I would suggest, that their life has a purpose.
- thetabyte 14y agoIt was a section of a longer work, which explored human purpose, so I apologize if the abbreviation makes it lose some of its meaning. I don't actually want to share the whole text at this point (some of it is a bit personal), but, on the other hand, you still raise a good point. However, it's my opinion (of course, I've never lived any of those situations) that the same lessons apply. If you do work that good for humanity, even if it is miserable work, you should glean happiness is what you are able to achieve. The conditions are different, but I guess my focus is on avoiding saying "This is what I wasn't able to do", and replacing it with "This is what I have done". Which seems to be a tough task for most any person.
- gumbo 14y agoHi. I really appreciated this piece of work. Would you mind sharing the full version with us? Thanks.
- thetabyte 14y agoAfter some thinking, I'll go ahead. "On Happiness" addresses some life/purpose/possibly religious issues, so "your mileage may vary". That was the only section of my graduation speech that addressed happiness, but you're welcome to read the rest. On Happiness: https://docs.google.com/document/d/11gFKnGCqW_vfp-vG_raj768Q-aNCj6RKX0yFYHql0S4/edit https://docs.google.com/document/d/11gFKnGCqW_vfp-vG_raj768Q... Graduation speech: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1N1JYKJkEPp_ib6aB4sS_Os-zTflZOmXEj3LVp2HTg8Q/edit https://docs.google.com/document/d/1N1JYKJkEPp_ib6aB4sS_Os-z...