Do You Seek Happiness in the Right Places?

If your relationship is going well, you're beyond happy. You light up, and people mention you're glowing. However, if you argue with your partner, or hit a few speed bumps, your mood dwindles. Suddenly, you're sad and depressed, and noticing all the flaws in your life and person. Perhaps looking for happiness in your relationship isn't a good idea, because you're essentially depending on someone else for happiness. Relationships work well when two happy people join forces, and enjoy even more happiness.

If it takes you too long to get somewhere in your career, you feel like a failure. It could be a raise, a promotion, or even success itself. Your happiness depends on just how much fulfillment your job provides, so if you feel unsuccessful at any point in time, it shows. Perhaps a change of careers is in order, something that genuinely brings you joy. Or perhaps, finding happiness in a better place.

If your friends and family are doing well, you're happy as a clam. If they're spending time with you, making memories, then you're even better. But the same goes for the opposite: if at any point they get too busy to hang out with you, you begin to feel neglected and sad. It's OK to seek happiness through loved ones, but it's never a good idea to depend on them for happiness.

You probably don't have your dream job, but you opted to make your dreams into hobbies. For instance, maybe you were unable to make a proper living by painting, but you certainly enjoy it as a hobby still, and it makes you happy. However, that implies that maybe you neglect other aspects of life, even just a little, in order to carve out more time for your hobby. Perhaps find a way to monetize your hobby, or incorporate your loved ones, or partner?

You're on the right track in terms of finding happiness. Chances are, over the years, you've learned that you can have everything, but still be unhappy. You could have your dream home, with your dream partner, and working at your dream job, but still feel unhappy. You understand that unless you're happy from the inside, there's nothing that can help.

You know happiness comes from within, but that doesn't mean that you don't seek happiness everywhere else too. You get great joy from friends and family, your partner, yourself, your career and hobbies. Everything you do, and with whomever, makes you happy. You take great pride in everything, and focus on being happy from within, and using it to make everything else that much more enjoyable as well. You are a relic. One in a million.