Why True Happiness Is Not Just About Reaching Your Goals

“Success isn’t well-nigh how your life looks to others. It’s well-nigh how it feels to you.” ~Michelle Obama

Do you have goals? Why do you have these goals? What will transpiration if you succeed them?

Will you be happy?

Think well-nigh this for a second: You’ve once achieved goals that you said would make you happy.

Pause.

Think well-nigh that again.

You’ve once achieved goals that you said would make you happy.

Well, that’s a humbling reality check, isn’t it? So why aren’t you experiencing everlasting happiness and satisfaction?

No matter the goal’s size, the reward level, or the value of success achieved, it all passes in the twinkle of an eye.

Wherever you go, there you are, my friend.

Actress Emma Watson, known for her role in the Harry Potter series, said, “I’ve realized that the success I’ve been seeking is not the success I want. I’m no longer sure what my own ambitions are or what success plane means.”

Singer-songwriter Justin Bieber said, “I’m a person who has feelings and I’m sensitive. All these things that people think are wonderful, it’s like, I don’t plane know what this means. I just want to be happy.”

Entrepreneur and tragedian Tim Ferriss said, “The 4-Hour Work Week was a runaway success, but it didn’t make me happy. In fact, it made me increasingly stressed out and miserable than overly before. I realized that true happiness comes from doing work that you love, not from achieving external success.”

In his autobiography Open, Tennis player Andre Agassi wrote well-nigh his realization without winning his first Wimbledon title: “I thought it would be the greatest moment of my life, but it wasn’t. I felt empty. Winning Wimbledon was just flipside step in the journey.”

Musician John Mayer said, “I thought that if I had a hit record, I’d finally be happy. But then I had a hit record, and I was still the same guy with all the same problems. I had to learn that happiness comes from within, not from external achievements.”

Every single one of these people struggled considering their identity became tied to external validation.

No longer were they pursuing their craft for the love and passion they once had; the unhealthy relationship with the goal made it an ugly ways to an end that left them feeling directionless.

If you want to remain happy, requite yourself a process that creates enjoyment.

It’s the progress we make toward the goal that makes us happy. It’s living up to our potential.

It’s doing something that makes your life finger like it matters. It’s the visualization to make something a priority in your life. This is the only thing that will transpiration your life.

There’s nothing you can buy or unzip that leads to everlasting happiness.

Every job is a joke in comparison to raising a child. There’s not plane a tropical second.

Parenting cannot be mastered like a skill uninventive by a mechanic considering there is no set formula or tabulation for raising a child. Every child is unique, and the challenges and joys of parenting are constantly changing.

Unlike a skill that can be honed through practice and experience, parenting requires adaptability, patience, and a deep understanding of each child’s individual needs and development. Every parent is navigating the journey of parenting without a definitive manual, learning and growing slantingly their child.

Put simply: Every parent is hanging on for dear life. You’re simply withal for the ride.

Yet, it’s given me the most joy I’ve overly had.

And this is from a guy who once popped MDMA like they were candies from his grandma’s purse: there’s no welter increasingly unspoiled than the spout of dopamine that drenches your mind, a waterfall of ecstasy, tranquillity, and pleasure that quenches your thirst for happiness.

But holy crap, the other side of that pill was a water slide straight into hell. The recreational use of ecstasy was my own ways to an end. It left me hollow, nightmarishly depressed, and unwilling to cope considering life felt woebegone and white.

Having a daughter brought verisimilitude when into my life.

I didn’t plane want to be a dad until my mid-thirties. Mainly considering I felt like a train wreck and, selfishly, I thought it would make me unhappy.

Now I finger like every day has meaning. There is no end goal. There’s only the North Star of living up to my potential as a person and father. It feels like my life matters. I have a priority that’s worthier than myself.

And it’s the sobering reminder that kids (and adults) don’t hear the words you say, they watch your actions.

The shit you unquestionably live and breathe.

They see what you value by your behavior.

When I decide to show up despite feeling depressed, I’m happy not considering I’ve achieved something but considering my whoopee is a vote toward the person I want to become.

That person, to me, is someone who doesn’t shy yonder from obstacles. That person sees value in stuff vulnerable. That person acts out of integrity considering true structuring is the only thing that makes us happy. Why? Considering that person takes whoopee plane when no one is watching. That person knows that happiness comes from within.

Your journey might be riddled with self-doubt and past mistakes, but remember, happiness isn’t a destination; it’s found in our everyday choices and the deportment we take.

For starters, live by your values, every single day.

Every morning, take a quiet moment to reflect on your cadre values as you sip your coffee or tea. Then, decide on one whoopee you can take that day that mirrors those values. This isn’t well-nigh grand gestures but the simple, everyday decisions that sculpt the canvas of your life.

Next, revel in the journey, not just the destination.

Think of the celebrities and their revelations. It was never well-nigh the final tribute but the thrilling ride that got them there. It’s not the finish line that counts most, but the steps taken, the hurdles overcome, the growth experienced.

So pick something you’re passionate about. Work at it, bit by bit, every day. Find joy in every small victory, every lesson learned. Relish the journey, not just the vaticination of the destination.

Lastly, value relationships and personal growth over trophies.

The most profound joys often viridity from genuine human connections and the growth we wits slantingly them. Set whispered some time each day, plane if it’s just a few minutes, to connect tightly with a loved one, a friend, or plane with yourself. The treasure lies not in the praises the world showers on you but in the smiles you share, the understanding you build, and the personal battles you conquer.

It’s not just well-nigh achieving your goals; it’s well-nigh realizing your worth, showing up for yourself and the people you love, and recognizing that you and your choices matter.