HAPPINESS Ep.1 Happiness, what is it? A state of mind, an emotion or a collective experience? I am a recovering sweet tooth, no I am lying...chocolate makes me happy so is chocolate happiness? I enjoy saxophone music, is that happiness still? When I link up with some old friends we have a good laugh and shit...we are all happy, so is that it? When I daydream about all I want to become in life it sure feels good, so is that happiness? What about the likes, follows and dms on social media engineered to target my self-esteem and confidence, what is that feeling of seeing the numbers rise with each post? What about love, is that happiness or a separate thing altogether? Sex feels good so is it part of the happiness equation too? We all feel good after some hours of a good romp. I bet you’ll say nah that's pleasure...could be true but what if I say I am happily pleasured isn't that me being happy about my sex life?...alright, let's move away from that as most of us are getting body count resets during this quarantine period no need to wake the beasts within. On the real though, we are all chasing happiness; in one way or the other….some are looking for it through work, others are looking for it through relationships; friendships and romantic interactions alike and others have decided to set out on a journey to look for it within themselves, is there a correct way of doing it? I would say Yes and No...Yes, the correct way of doing it is doing what you think will make you happy so that you come to your own tailor made realization of what happiness really means in the end...look at you with all those ideas in your head shahada, aren’t you special. It is part of the journey though so be ready for fuck-ups, misunderstandings, some pain, some regrets, some hurt, some love, some peace, some pleasure, some joy, some memories and moments alike…I started with the negatives because we all tend to want the good things first and the bad things last or not at all so consider that as a little mind-trick from me. No, there is no universal way of finding what makes you happy each one of us no matter how similar we are in terms of values, perception of reality, societal conditioning, tastes or ideas has their own journey to take and our awakening to who we are is at different levels and periods in our lives some of us will awaken in their 20s as they are trying to “get their shit together”, others will awaken in their 30s maybe with a small family in the making, others in their 40s and 50s when their physical lives have been established and others will not awaken till their next lives perhaps, I believe in reincarnation. I got a bit spiritual there...well back to what i was talking about... Written By Ryan G... HAPPINESS Ep.1 So why do we chase it? Who taught us that it is something to chase or something to fight for? What happens if you don't get that happiness? Here’s another ripper, is happiness a human construct because what makes one happy is not what makes the other happy? What about those people who just want to make other people happy, does it mean they are not happy within therefore making people happy is a way to experience happiness as an extension? For those who are happy, should they share it or keep it to themselves because they have found what others have been looking for? So many questions huh, well I think part of being human is to ask a lot of questions because we want to know so we can understand it from our point of view then pull it in our sphere of control using our brains which in turn makes our minds feel safe resulting in us feeling like finally we got things under control. If you think I am lying, look at how we get attached to things or people that give us that feeling of happiness. I might try to intellectualize happiness and say it's due to a hormone in the brain known as serotonin used to regulate our moods. It helps us not fall into depression or become anxious for the most part. Helps us sleep well too and heal our physical wounds... when your serotonin levels are normal you feel calmer, less anxious, happier, more focused and emotionally stable. To get that jolt of serotonin in your system, do some exercises, meditate or bask in that early morning sun...so next time someone calls you sunshine whether you’re a man or woman remember the sun is a mood booster, so they feel good being around you, 10points for your self-esteem...that was my Ted talk halakha, now where was I? Ah, yes the quest for happiness...I think most humans have experienced happiness in their lives but it is the thirst for novelty that puts us back in the race...psychology calls it the grass is greener syndrome: the thought of “what else is out there? “The more persistent the thought the more the desire for action. It starts with predictability, it's nice for a while then boredom sets in slowly and resentment grows due to the constant repetition before you know it you get curious and start wondering, “What else is out there?” To paint a picture, let's say you get a job, it’s nice you like it...you do it a couple of years, you finally understand the ins and outs of everything associated with it, then the monotony/boredom kicks in..the job no longer fulfills you like it did before, you start thinking of if there is anything else you can do, you go to the internet and search for more challenging jobs, the novelty kicks in once you look at the results of your google search...so many Written By Ryan G... HAPPINESS Ep.1 opportunities and you want to try them all or most of which that look desirable. You make that decision and hand in your resignation letter, off you go to the next adventure. Now don’t misunderstand me, there is nothing wrong with getting yourself a better job. It's good to want to improve your life in all spheres. Happiness, where are you? I am here, I have always been here... Where is this here you speak of? Here is wherever growth is at... So you mean to tell me whenever I experience growth, that's where happiness is at? Yeah pretty much But growth is so painful No its not, your attachments are Why can’t you hang out by yourself must you always be with growth? Yeah, we are sort of like twins, besides wouldn't you like a “buy one, get one free deal?” Okay, but what I’m I buying? You’re buying growth How much does it cost? It costs all of your fears Wait, isn't that too much? Do you want happiness in your life or not? I do Then trust me, Okay, you said all fears? Written By Ryan G...
