If I were to describe to a frog what it’s like to be a human, I would say that being human is the act of feeling hundreds of emotions, all of them different from the last. However, despite all of our possible emotions, we all collectively strive to feel one: happiness. I think we have all heard someone pose the question, “what makes you happy?” but finding the answer is easy. Happiness is not always joy, celebration, pleasure, delight, it’s a different state for everyone. And if you’re not happy, that’s okay.
Self-improvement and mental health tips are excellent tools that everyone should take advantage of, but sometimes the goal of simply being happy at the end of every self-help article you read doesn’t come to fruition. I’ve lived through countless happy moments, all of them remarkable in their own way, but I wouldn’t say I’m happy all the time. So, I pose these questions instead. Are you content with where you are? And what would you change if you’re not? Like with everything humans do, there must be a careful balance. If we’re happy all the time, can we feel pure joy in a specific moment? Can we live to our fullest potential if we’re sad all the time? The answer is simply no. As much as I’d love to be super bubbly, happy, walking around with a smile all the time, I don’t want to paint a false reality.
Happiness can be even more meaningful if you are content. Being content is so much more than just feeling happy all the time; it’s the ability to pick yourself up on a bad day, know that there will be a better day to come and then enjoy all the happiness and pleasure that comes with life. Finding an equilibrium where you can have a bad day, where you forgot to set your alarm or you get a bad grade, and then pick yourself up and do better the coming day, is immensely more rewarding in the long term. We should all work to be at a point where small things don’t set us back, and happiness doesn’t appear in bursts, but is consistent. That being said, it won’t be easy to reach this point, and it takes time. Time can be made for what you find important, so create goals, set limits, see those moments of pure bliss. Experience the gloomy days to come out feeling content, and better than just “happy”. Be pleased with where you are at in that moment.
Next time you find yourself in a situation where you are describing to a frog what it is like to be human, make sure to let them know that being human is a constant struggle to understand emotions, but also a wonderful experience of things such as bliss, joy, sorrow, inspiration, determination and most of all, contentment.