I can’t speak realistically for all people, but a misconception that I have had in the past has been that if you are unhappy something must be wrong. The reason this is a misconception is that being happy isn’t a continuous feeling. It is a feeling that comes and goes. The only way to be happy all the time is to be on drugs which I wouldn’t recommend. In order to distinguish happiness from unhappiness there has to be a cessation, or a break from it. Otherwise it wouldn’t be happiness it would be just a normal, okay kind of feeling.
Happiness is the high points of our days which make all the other parts worthwhile. In order to truly enjoy and bask in happiness we have to know what it is to be unhappy. It is perfectly normal to not be happy all the time, to even be unhappy often. If you are unhappy most of the time, there may be something wrong. I think the highs and the lows should be moments in the day, most of the day should be safely ensconced in blahness or everyday medium emotions.
I think the reason people are drawn to music, movies and books is because we are wired to anticipate and prepare for drama in some form. If we didn’t have these highs and lows our lives would be lengthy routines in a purgatory like existence. No sadness, but no joy. We need variety.
They say variety is the spice of life. It really is. Varied experiences help break up monotony and routine. They save us from ourselves. But we must have a real break from happiness and unhappiness to learn and appreciate the ordinary life. We can’t function in constant turmoil. We need the calmness before and after the storm.
Happiness is a good goal to aim for, as long as you are aware that you can’t stay at the pinnacle of that mountain forever. You have to come down and appreciate all the other emotions.
The misconception that you can stay happy once you are happy is a big one. There are moments like when I got married that I thought that was it, happiness starts here and everything is just happily ever after. That just isn’t what happens. People change and grow and shift and have flaws that sometimes you can’t see right away. Sometimes these things seem like no big deal until they are.
I love that feeling of being blissfully happy. I treasure it when it happens knowing that it will dissipate like the fog. But I treasure it like a warm hug, like a reunion between long lost friends. I know it will come again and I will be ready for it when it happens knowing that it is a temporary state. It’s enough to experience it. It is worth all the other stuff that happens in between.
These gem like moments are really what we live for, what I live for. Life is a series of experiences, good bad and indifferent. I choose to focus on the good ones because it is just as easy as focusing on the bad ones. I think it is important to be present for your own life. To really experience the days and the moments. I am trying not to sleepwalk so much of my life. It is really the best movie there is, your own existence.
The Infamous Jennisfora Strikes Again...or something like that 