How to be Happy

“When I was 5 years old, my mother always told me that happiness was the key to life. When I went to school, they asked me what I wanted to be when I grew up. I wrote down ‘happy’. They told me I didn’t understand the assignment, and I told them they didn’t understand life.”

― John Lennon

Every single one of us comes from different walks of life. Some of us grew up with great privilege, others of us grew up in the dirt. Some of us live in big cities, with tiny little apartments we call our own. And some of us live in the country, with nothing but space and we still feel alone. Some of us have fast cars to zoom through the streets in, and others of us have just an old 10 speed bike that we picked up at a garage sale. We are all different. We all live very different lives. However, we all are looking for the same thing.

Happiness.

We think happiness can be bought, as if it sits on a shelf somewhere in the supermarket of our mind. We think if we surround ourselves with objects of pleasure, we will be happy. For some, this is happiness. They settled for artificial happiness. Maybe they don't think true happiness exists, or maybe they are just to busy playing with their fast cars and swimming in their indoor pools filled, trying to forget all the people they left behind to buy this shit.

But what is real happiness? Happiness comes from the people around you. Friends and family. It comes from knowing that no matter how deep you have fallen down the rabbit hole, they are there throwing you down a rope. Happiness comes from knowing when the whole world has turned against you, your friends and family will be by your side sticking a middle finger to the sky with you. Happiness comes from these big moments and the little ones.

It comes on those late night drives, with a loved one by your side, and how you both agreed to take the long way home. It comes from those simple conversations you have, but in the moment they seem like the most important thing in the world to talk about. It comes from the magical unplanned moments when you realize that the people in your lives are all blessings. It comes when you find the people you never want to leave your life. That you want to spend time with for ever. No matter how far away they may physically move, one day, you will still find time to see them. To love them.

Happiness is the key to life. It is why we are living. It is what gets us through those hard, dark days, and what wakes us up early on those bright and sunny ones. Happiness comes from loving those who you choose to fill your life with. And also from loving yourself and who you are.

I am finally happy. Are you?

So it goes...