Happiness is not the choice to seek out joyful moments. It’s not “Pollyanna,” where you try to ignore what disturbs you, pretend you don’t see it, and act like everything is fine. That is justifying negativity with attempts to view things positively. Happiness is the choice not to torment your mind, no matter what happens. Happiness is choosing to stop living in the past and dragging it along with you every day, trying to suffer in advance over what terrible future might await. Neither of these things ever exists. There is only the present moment. And another thing – all emotions are valid. Sadness, joy, sorrow, anger – they all have their place. The key is not letting your mind get stuck in them, spiraling back into the past, or running to the future with thoughts of how awful everything will inevitably be.
Happiness is the enjoyment of the present moment, in which everything necessary is always present.
There is one condition that could, in principle, serve as an argument against what I’ve just said, and that condition is severe physical suffering. When pain overwhelms the body, it’s hard to think or not think. But I have a response to this and an answer to a potential debate. There is a film I Am, directed by Tom Shadyac, a well-known Hollywood director who made films like Ace Ventura and Bruce Almighty, among others. Tom suffered an injury that led to post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD).
Many people have great difficulty coping with this condition, and some even reach the point of suicide. I, too, occasionally experience it with my broken leg. Sometimes it simply hurts to walk, and I love walking and going for long walks. Now, long walks are completely unavailable to me, and short ones are often filled with pain that never fades, and no footwear can fix it. Surprisingly, this rarely bothers my mind. My mind, always eager for something to suffer over, knows how to use this situation.
So, Tom was on the verge of suicide. But for him, his PTSD became the door to an amazing project. Tom made a film that I believe everyone on Earth should watch. If you have the chance, definitely watch it, and you will understand why I brought his story as an example. Watch this film especially if you use physical pain as an excuse to not choose happiness.
When the mind is backed into a corner, and it’s either the end or a leap, the leap must be made – in that corner, a door will always open to a new dimension, to a new cycle of development. I believe this.