This morning I find myself, lost within my own mind.

I find myself living in a “feel-good society” with its “feel good religions” and somedays it seems happiness is valued above all else.

Within the last year I honestly been told, “if you don’t feel it fake it.” This advice was giving to myself and a larger group of people talking about our emotional state of being around the topic of, “happiness.”

If you stroll through a bookstore in-person or online you’ll discover entire sections devoted to “finding happiness,” sustaining happiness, keep joy alive in your life, and endless self-help titles! Magazines, from Men’s health to women’s fashion, have article after article about three steps on how to be happy!

“Start being happy today!”
“Be happy now.”
“Discover true happiness.”
“Find endless joy from the ultimate sex.”
“Be happy at work.”
“Happy at home.”
“Be happy with your body.”

The list is truly overwhelming and we are in need of seeing that companies are attempting to define and SELL happiness!

Can they do that?!?
They are!

On top of that this term or emotional state has become embedded within some of our daily terminology, “Happy Holidays,” “Happy New Years,” “Happiness and future,” “God Bless with abundant joy,” “Don’t worry be Happy.”

We just maybe are a culture that is obsessed with the “pursuit of happiness!” (That’s a blockbuster movie title)

Our society continues to bang the drum of happiness saying, “you must be happy with our self.”
“Everyone should find joy and happiness within their work.”
…. …. On and…. On…. and on the list goes!

Is this truly living within reality or is this being stupidly optimistic as we take in a global perspective?!!!?

If I’m not happy is there something wrong with me?

No, there is nothing wrong with you if your not happy 24-7! The opposite maybe true… If you’re happy 24-7 you maybe be insane or taking happy juice, but one thing for certain your not living in reality. To be completely honest, it’s has to be more healthy to live within reality vs attempting to use exponential amounts of energy pretending to be happy.

On the other note don’t take what I am said as validation to being a depressed grump!

Bottom line: happiness alongside sadness are emotional states in which humans should and will experience just like seasonal storms.

These emotions should not be avoided as they add depth to each of our lives!

The fight is for balance and not to swing to either extremist side.

I maybe a glass half-full kind of person, but I can enjoy life with a glass half-empty friend!

How?

Why?

Because, happiness and relationship aren’t based on us seeing eye to eye all the time! Relationships and a deeper state of happiness is found within the friendship in which you can totally disagree with but continue doing life together, talking and being friends. One cannot really know true happiness unless they have first experienced sadness. Experiencing difficult emotions through life is what brings perspective and meaning to that which brings real joy!

So here’s to experiencing the day and all that it holds: ups, downs, highs, lows, questions, uncertainties, and striving to make sense of this thing we call life while discovering balance.

So here’s to the journey and freedom not to be bound by false culture pressure or expectations. To seek out and discover how and what happiness means to you!

Action step: Leave a comment. Thoughts?  I’d be honored to hear and have you share thoughts.  How? Simply leave or submit a comment below and personally commit take one step forward from where you are at today.