“When we seek happiness through something, then the thing becomes of greater value than happiness itself. . . we have never asked ourselves if this can be found through things made by the hand or the mind. . . There is happiness only when the search for it ceases.” — J. Krishnamurti
The pursuit of happiness creating stress is a laughable paradox, but it’s one we have turned into the norm.
Consider FOMO, a toxic byproduct of us trying to be happy. In an interesting discussion on philosophy, ChatGPT said to me, “FOMO amplifies the idea that happiness is always somewhere else—at the next event, in the next purchase, or with a different group of people. It turns life into a comparison game, where someone else’s joy can make you feel inadequate or unfulfilled. . . FOMO keeps happiness just out of reach, always a step ahead.” (It’s amazing how accurately a machine can articulate our condition without understanding a word of what it writes.)
Happiness is not in a distant moment, it’s here and now. When you find a 100-bucks note in the pocket of a jacket you’ve worn after long. When the barista at the coffee shop greets you with a warm smile. When the tasks you do keep refilling your well of creativity and fulfillment.
Don’t try so hard to be happy that you overlook the simple moments that actually create joy.