If you’ve got everything, nothing gives you pleasure; if you’ve got nothing, the smallest thing means the world to you. And that principle is the rock on which the good ship Happiness continually founders.
Most of us are simply too ambitious when it comes to our own happiness. We assign ourselves parameters. And that’s bad. It’s the worst thing you can do. The more we have, the less happy we are, because, as we get closer to the parameters we’ve assigned, we realise we don’t really want it. Even worse than this, placing the ‘happy’ burden on others should be penalised by being put on The Guest List To Hell.
When we achieve our goals, are we happy? They say the journey is better than the stay. But surely life itself is a journey? That’s why, as you try to enjoy that life of yours, by all means choose the dreamiest destinations but don’t forget to enjoy the sandwiches on the plane.
The things that make people happy are the things they expect will make them unhappy. In other words, unhappiness is a result of making the wrong choices. So you could say, ‘the less choice the better’ or, to repeat myself: the trouble with life is there’s only variety and nothing else. In light of this, why not try to enjoy things that happen accidentally rather than chasing happiness?
The years of struggle: lugging band equipment up and down never-ending crooked stairwells, heaving our broken-down Transit van into a sodden petrol forecourt, Pot Noodle picnics in motorway service station car parks. That was our journey as a band. A journey with a common purpose. And this common purpose ensured that, despite the hardships, despite the struggle and despite the sacrifice, we experienced much real happiness.
But you shouldn’t value happiness too highly, because if you relate your happiness to serious matters (money, relationships, career and so on) you will never be able to afford it. Instead, try to be happy cheaply.
By all means, have ambitions to conquer the world, but don’t torment yourself with happiness tick-off boxes. Instead try wandering with no shoes (or Havaianas flip flops, if you insist) and collect the goodie bags (of happiness) that fortune bestows.
I think I should stop here before I turn into a bastardised hybrid of Jesus, Buddha and Mohammed. Even happiness isn’t worth the Third World War.
