I haven't actually written in a while, so forgive me if I seem a bit rusty.
Christmas with your grandchildren,with loved ones, holidays somewhere in the Carribean islands, a house in the best parts of the country, a partner that would make anyone drool or a bank account so fat that you can afford anything. Things like these are what make most people happy. It is the norm to see people dabble in various activities, whether legal or illegal, moral or immoral all to satisfy their deepest desires and ensure that they are happy.
But then, the question is what really makes you happy? I have heard several people say that they would rather cry in a Benz than cry in a public bus and I conclude that they want the "finer things" in life. But then, various research carried out by psychologists refer to an happy person as someone who often experiences positive emotions and rarely experiences negative emotions. If you are frequently crying in your house which is worth several million dollars, can you be concluded to be an happy person? If you are scared of returning home from work everyday out of fear of coming to meet an abusive partner, can you be assumed to be happy?
What brings happiness differs from one individual to another. While some people want a life of intense fun, some people want a life of quiet. Some people are in love with the rush of the city of Lagos, while some people are at peace with life somewhere in Kogi. The "Lagos Lover" might find himself becoming melancholic if he is compelled to live in Kogi, while our "Kogi guy" might feel like he was sent to hell if he had to live in Lagos.
Now, if there is one thing most people enjoy doing, it is playing the role of judge, jury and executioner. A man who has millions in his bank account might deem his friend from high school who earns far lesser than he does as unfulfilled and probably unhappy. Well, maybe he is right but then, what if the friend from high school has a loving wife who ensures prudent spending of the money her family makes, ensuring that their while they might not have all hat they want, they have all that they need. The millionaire on the other end might have a nagging wife who is always frustrating him, making him scared of returning home and always wants to spend the family's money on some silly venture. When you look at the lives of these two individuals, I think that you would agree with me that the millionaire is most likely less happy than his friend.
I remember having the impression that a certain individual I used to see on a certain social media was living the happily "ever after" life, only to find out a few months ago that the individual was battling depression. I've learnt one thing that several people don't really want most of the things they chase but are rather intrigued by the idea of being able to get these things. The moment we decide that we can have these things, we have our sights on some other things, not feeling at peace with ourselves until we are able to get them.
There are billionaires who are happy and then, there are poor men who are happy. Decide what makes you truly happy and follow your heart in getting it. Choose to be happy, as no one else has the power to make you happy. In their quest to make you happy, people who love you might try to push their definition of happiness on you, inadvertently making you further unhappy in the process.