The hardest choice

When one in Europe or North America take awareness of the world around us, the very first thing we notice is how difficult is to be just happy. Everything is sending us messages all the time about what we don’t have, of what we crave or need (even though we might not really need it)… It seems the world’s purpose is making us unhappy to make sure we don’t cause any problems. We can’t stop buying and consuming; we want the newest thing without being aware of the consequences of this craziness for the environment. But, I am not going to talk about programmed obsolescence. I will leave that topic for another day. Don’t worry, I have nothing but time.

As I was saying, we are in a race to get the newest things in the market, believing that, once we have it, our cravings will stop. We will be able to calm it down and the burning will cease. But then, the market makes sure that there is always something newer, more attractive. It makes us believe that we need it and we won’t be happy until we have it whatever it takes.

Unfortunately, unhappiness is not always related to material possessions.

We are programmed to believe that we achieve happiness by pretending and talking about unhappiness and misery. When we are kids, we use to blame everyone for our misery: our parents, our teachers, that clumsy friend who can’t play soccer, our siblings who we have to share our toys and attention with… when we are kids, we are entitled to be childish and put the blame on everyone else: we are growing and learning.

But the problem is when we don’t learn and we arrive to the teenage hood with the same attitude and issues. Then it gets worst when we become adults (some people never get there…). And them, others are the responsible of our misery: our colleagues, our bosses, our partners, friends… Sometimes, the people around us make the way bitter and harder. Life is not easy, let’s face it, and there situations beyond our control. But that’s life. Now, accepting things the way they are and learning from experience that is not easy. And I am not talking about conformity and accepting to be bullied, or ignoring the injustice (although, who am I to judge anybody’s fears?).

I am talking to make up our mind and be happy. Take responsibilities. Accept life is just a learning process of trials and errors and so on until we make it. Life is not a science. Life is not straight forward. It’s not two plus two equals four. There are so many factors, equations, metaphors that we have to learn to understand in each context.

We can only improve our life by taking take control and stop giving power to others; when we decide to be happy with what we have and accepting who we are. When we commit to our happiness everything start making sense. We stop chasing our tail; we break destructive and harmful behaviours and open our world to new opportunities. We have to love ourselves, take care of ourselves. It is our birth right. Deciding to be happy is the best way to love ourselves, nurture with amazing and tasty experiences

That is the hardest choice to make in life: breaking with those negative behaviors that bring unhappiness. Because walking against the flow to reach our essence and break with all we believed it was right, that is extremely painful; but once you take the decision of being happy, once you commit with our wellbeing, everything comes smooth like a plum.

It’s not true that is better the devil you know. Think about it. Decide to be happy now.