Why Pursuing (追求) Happiness Will Make You End up Being Unhappy
When we talk about happiness, we think about staying happy all the time. We try to pursue this constant state of "happiness" as our goal. No one has a perfect life. Pursuing happiness makes us end up being unhappy. There are several ways to avoid it.
Stop trying to be happy. It's natural to want to be happy as often as possible. So what can you do? Throw away the belief that a perfect life means happiness. It's from experiencing the pains of lifelong challenges that drive us to care for others when they are experiencing the same tracks. If life were perfect, you wouldn't be able to comprehend.
Understand the importance of gratitude. Instead of focusing on the unpleasant moment right now, flash back your memory to when you had or didn't have something. I like to think about my career, for example. But when I found my purpose and started my company, I was deeply happy, even before I realized I would be successful! This memory keeps me going when there are tough spots. It takes the darkness to make us grateful for the light.
Your life will be filled with beautiful, happy and incredible moments. But your life will also be filled with rain and storms that don't ever seem to pass when you're going through them. Don't try to avoid "sad" or "negative" experiences, and blindly chase being "happy". Being able to create growth and meaning out of both positive and negative events—that is the true meaning of "happiness".
A. Find the right motivation.
B. If life were perfect, you wouldn't grow.
C. Remember happiness and sadness exist together.
D. When I didn't have a career, I felt lost and hopeless.
E. Treasure the happy moments and pass through the sad ones.
F. However, in reality, there is always something missing or unpleasant.
G. The secret to happiness is to keep setting yourself new challenges.
