I've really started wondering "How happy are we really"? I feel like many of us are constantly pushing ourselves - striving for the next promotion, a bigger and better job, a bigger house or more properties, a better car - and I have to wonder, are these things really making us happy?
We seem to be constantly striving for the next "material" item to signify our success, but are these the things that really matter and make us truly happy? Sure it might feel nice to drive a fancy car, have a bigger home, or the 3 B's (the bach, boat and BMW), but do they make our day to day life happier if we are constantly slogging our guts out and not enjoying the 'now' to attain these things?
If they genuinely do make you happy, awesome, and I know people who are. But we aren't all made from the same mold.
I know of many people who have struggled with these pressures, which boil down to money, and it has affected their mental wellness. Money driving them to work harder, longer hours to have more. Working harder in the hopes that their lives in the future will be nice and 'comfortable', but what if something happens next week, and you don't get to experience those days? Why are we constantly living 5, 10 or 40 years away, and not enjoying where we are in now?
I feel like when we are kids we have a unique ability to enjoy the 'now'. Whatever we are doing in the moment; eating an ice cream, chasing friends playing tag, playing eye spy on family trips, reading a book, or laying on the tramp watching the clouds go by.
As we grow up many of us lose this ability (I certainly have) as we have more responsibility and become focused on what we need to do and achieve to fit society's definition of success, rather than what makes us happy.
It breaks my heart to see people struggling with mental distress because of these pressures. I want to implore these people to give up chasing money, and instead let go of these expectations and societal pressures and live their dream now.
I feel so privileged that I genuinely love my job. I can't fathom waking up most, if not every, morning and feeling dread and anxiety at having to get up and go to a job I don't enjoy or feel panic about the financial burdens I am under.
If I felt unhappy the majority of the time I hope I would choose a simpler life, with less "material" success, if it meant that I love each day I'm here and felt truly happy.
Blessings x