We’ve all heard our parents say this at one time or another. And there’s good reason for that. Most of the time, when we engage in activities that bring us pleasure, we exude that feeling to others. It’s quite addictive, and it promotes an environment of pursuing our own forms of pleasure.
Generally people don’t travel to be frustrated by the outside world. Traveling is all about happiness. We seek out new places to gain an understanding of something new or to challenge ourselves to achieve a new goal. And we made the decision to explore because we looked forward to the pleasure that it would bring us.
But even at home, in our daily lives, while making important decisions, we should always remember that our happiness is still paramount.
To harness the power of our happiness, most of us form a community of like-minded friends, take on a job that is both challenging and rewarding, or contribute to a general climate of circumstances which most suits our personalities.
No matter what lies down the road, if we’re not happy, we’ll likely give up on our pursuits. We can live on a luxurious yacht floating atop crystal clear water and overlooking pristine beaches. But if that’s not what we enjoy, or it’s not the right time, it may as well be an inner-tube atop a puddle in a chemical waste dump in sub-Saharan Africa.
Our lives will always be full of choices. But if we base our decisions on something other than happiness, the outcome will be limited to that which motivated us in the first place. For instance, we might make less money in the long run if we take a new job that pays more, but which we quit because we can’t stand going to everyday.
On the other hand, if we place our happiness at the forefront of our decision-making, the one thing that we’re sure to have as a minimum is just that. And from then on, everything else which is gained from this decision will simply be a bonus.
Trusting in our happiness is always going to suit us best in the long term. If our decisions affect a partner, ensure that the collective happiness is always the main consideration, ensuring that we offer the deepest, most honest representation of our wants before coming to a mutually beneficial decision.