Happiness- More Than Just Success

Life makes us experience everything, we human beings keep changing and growing, some do in a good way and some, well not so good but still, each of us always strives to achieve one thing, an emotion which surpasses our deepest desires, in fact, it is the greatest desire- happiness. Everyone knows the path that leads to happiness is success, but then why not every successful person isn't necessarily happy. Why more and more successful people are finding themselves anxious and adrift. Maybe chasing happiness can make people unhappy. There lies more to achieving fulfilling happiness. Only success definitely doesn't guarantee happiness. In times like these when we are advancing into the most advanced time of all with improved and effective healthcare, cutting edge technology, best education among others, people still don't seem to be really happy but feel hopeless, depressed and alone.

According to a study, what explains this distress and anguish is not a lack of happiness. It's a lack of something else, a lack of having meaning in life. Our world is obsessed with happiness that comes with success, but seeking happiness that comes with meaning is the more fulfilling path. And the studies show that people who have meaning in life, they're more resilient, they do better in school and at work, and they even live longer. So how can we each live more meaningfully?

The one cornerstone in making life meaningful is the sense of belonging. It comes from when we're valued for who we are intrinsically and where we value others as well. Belonging is a choice, we can choose to create it with others. For many others, happy life is a life with purpose. It is more about what we give than what we want. For a doctor, his purpose is to treat his patients, healing the sick. For a teacher, it is to mold the younger generation into better people for tomorrow. Purpose provides us something to live for, some "why" that pushes us forward. Many others find meaning by showing gratitude, for the environment that sustains us, for people who are there for us and for everything they are blessed with. Having meaning in life is fulfilling and different people tend to feel it differently. But being happy is everyone's ultimate goal. There is no manual with steps to follow to be happy. we just need to look inside our hearts to find the answer- belonging, purpose, gratitude, we know it.