Don’t Chase Happiness

“Happiness is not a destination; it is a state of mind”.

I remember reading this quote almost 10 years ago and I could count on one hand the number of unhappy days I have had since. However, I do not want to preach about how happy I am, ‘look at me, look at me’…

What I would rather do, and I think you would appreciate more, is address this notion of happiness, and is it really something we should all be chasing?

Every day on the way to Epoch I drive past McDonald’s and the line is always busy, people waiting patiently to get their tasty Big Mac, and as soon as they take that first bite, I am sure they will be ‘happy’.

However, later that day there may be a little regret, a little emotional tournament, and a little anxiety at the poor choice made earlier, the declining health, and expanding waistline. We’ve all been there; I know I have.

You see ‘happiness’ is a short-lived emotion, it comes and it goes. It is an illusion to think it will be there all the time. And what I think the above sentence was really alluding to was not that we should just be in a happy state 24/7, but instead of chasing happiness and a destination, we should be looking for fulfillment.

So, what is fulfillment?

Well, my favourite definition of fulfillment is ‘growth’.

Always moving towards something, doing something new, and growing. Be that in work, relationships, fitness, and education.

Which is why I feel there has been such a lack of happiness and fulfillment this past year as we have all been forced to stop and it has limited our growth with the restrictions in place.

Therefore, my challenge to you is to think, how can you be 1% better today than you were yesterday? What one thing more can you do today than last week?

It could be walking 10 minutes this evening, it could be an extra push-up, one more page of a book, or one more cuddle with your loved ones.

Remember, wherever you want to go, it’s all about commitment and consistency. How can you move forward today and grow?

You deserve happiness and more than that you deserve fulfillment, take this simple definition and become one bit better today than you were yesterday.

With love

Tom