The word “happiness” is often misunderstood. There’s so much to say about wanting happiness, pursuing it, thinking you’ve found it, and yet not feeling truly happy.
Since I was a little girl, I imagined traveling the world, landing my dream job, living in an exotic place, and carving out my own path as an empowered woman. That dream became my greatest motivation to achieve my goals.
But you know what happened once I achieved every single thing on my list? Was I happy? How complex we can be, because I was NOT happy. In fact, the years when I was at the peak of my career and had achieved everything I set out to do were the loneliest and emptiest years of my life. There was no real meaning. I became a robot, following the path of the majority, not truly knowing who I was anymore.
We grow up with this idea of being the best, becoming extraordinary humans, leaving a legacy, gaining power—and somewhere along the way, we often lose touch with our true identity. If we don’t seek help and realign ourselves, it can become a burden for the years to come.
We’ve been sold the idea that happiness is something material, superficial, and easily attainable through money, power, relationships, or status. But we forget that true happiness doesn’t come from the outside; it comes from within. It is a state of inner peace, self-awareness, gratitude, and forgiveness that leads us to real happiness.
It may take a lifetime to find it, but each of us has the potential to experience it at some point.
There’s no need to search for it outside of yourself, or expect it to be generated by anything other than you. Once you master the ability to achieve true, lasting happiness, it will stay with you for a long time. It won’t fade easily because it will become an integral part of who you are. Once you start breathing in real happiness, it becomes the solid foundation of your life. That’s how it works.
Live for the day, distance yourself from toxic people, minimize exposure to social media, walk more, spend time with yourself, make peace with your inner demons, admire nature, appreciate your body and its beauty, meditate regularly, sleep well, visualize your dreams, spend time with those who make you laugh, do something you love, and most importantly, love yourself more each day. Say it out loud in front of the mirror every day—it works.