How to be happiest in life? –@JackBennett
Let’s say you want something. Let’s say it’s money. Or “enlightenment”. Or, to be the star of a TV show. Anything that we’ve been trained in life to believe are reasonable goals.
The problem is, none of the goals are that reasonable.
They all involve a fight. You have to fight to make a lot of money. And often there are people who don’t want you to have it. And so then you have to fight with jealousy, either your own or others.
And then even worse, you GET your goal and you are still not happy. Evidence: look at all the rich, famous, beautiful people who have to be escorted off airlines because they spit on the stewardess. Are these people happy?
Or even worse: You GET and then you LOSE your goal. Losing $15mm for me in the summer of 2000 was the worst experience of my life. And then everyone laughing at me. Ugh, what a drag.
I was so miserable I could’ve killed myself. Maybe I would’ve if not for having two little girls along the way.
I had high expectations for myself. When I was in third grade I was calling MYSELF a genius. I had no shame about it. I was the world’s greatest genius. At the age of eight. And then I had to make millions. And I had to have sex with beautiful women. And I had to…I had to… had to…on and on and on. It never ended what I expected of myself.
ARGH! STOP!
Now I try to lower my expectations. I don’t need as much as I thought I did. I don’t need to be as successful an author as Snooki in order to be happy. I don’t need many of the things I used to think I needed, including some form of spiritual enlightenment. Save those things for the people who are needy and think they need it to fill the emptiness.
And you know what, the more expectations I surrender on, the more I receive. The happier I get.