Does It Get Easier? Will I Ever Be Happy?
Just recently, I was asked by someone younger than me, "Does life get any easier as you get older?" It took me a few moments to think before I could give an honest answer. The pursuit of happiness. It is like we are all constantly chasing that feeling of happiness. To feel that we have reached our desired destination. To finally feel "happy".
Looking back at our lives, it seems that we are constantly experiencing highs and lows. Some of our highs are memories we can cherish forever and some, in all truthfulness, we would much rather forget. Life is tough, it isn't meant to be easy. If it were easy, none of us would have character. If everything was always perfect, not one of us would know how to appreciate the good things that life can offer.
If you think back to some of the toughest times you have been through, whether it was a loved one that had passed, losing someone you cared for deeply, maybe it was a traumatic break up or even a traumatic experience caused by abuse or neglect. Whatever it may have been, didn't it shape you into the person you are today?
Each of us has experienced some form of pain. It sucks, but it's true. But if you think back to any of these moments, if you think back to how you made it through to the other side when at the time, you didn’t think you would. Just think back to how much pain you felt. Now look at yourself now. How has that affected who you are now?
PAIN IS WHAT HELPS US GROW
I know it isn't exactly what you want to hear. That life will always throw curve balls at us and we will always constantly be experiencing pain in some shape or form. In saying this, life is about growing. It is a learning experience and without setbacks and failure, we would never learn.
As the world's greatest masters have said, make mistakes often, as mistakes mean that you are trying. Life will keep giving us the same lesson over and over again until we learn from it. Maybe we will keep attracting the wrong people into our lives until one day we realise that it is us that is allowing the negativity into our lives. Maybe the wrong people will keep entering our lives until we realise that enough is enough and that we are worth more than that.
Maybe we will keep self destructing without realising it and keep making the same mistakes until one day we wake up and realise that it is us that is causing the drama and conflict. Maybe things have happened that was completely out of our control. But after all was said and done, didn’t you learn from it? Didn’t it teach you something? Each of our situations are different as we all have our own paths.
IT IS HOW WE HANDLE THE UPS AND DOWNS THAT MAKE THE DIFFERENCE
Life will always be full of ups and downs, highs and lows, laughter and tears. It is inevitable. Life will never be perfect. It isn't made for perfection. Life is meant for growth. Life is a constant lesson. If we never fall, how are we supposed to grow?
Think of the people that worked their butts off to achieve their dreams. Whether it is a professional athlete, a successful business owner or someone madly in love with the person of their dreams.
It doesn't stop there, the athlete may have received recognition for being a pro, but they still have to train every day to ensure they keep up to their title. They still have to work hard. The business owner can't all of a sudden put their feet up now that they own the business of their dreams. It takes a lot of hard work and determination to be able to maintain a successful business. It doesn’t run by itself. The person that has met their soulmate didn't just get lazy once they met their soulmate. To achieve longevity, relationships take constant work and commitment. It is never just about the destination.
DOES LIFE GET ANY EASIER? WILL YOU EVER BE HAPPY?
Happiness is a state of mind. You have to consciously make a decision that today will be a good day. You have to make that decision and accept that life will always throw curve balls. Life is a journey. It will always be a roller coaster.
Does life get any easier as we get older? I think not. To be honest, I think we just learn to handle the curve balls better than the year before.
Be content with what you have but still take action to achieve your goals. Don't take the people in your life for granted and realise that they could be gone as easily as they came into your life. Make your life full of amazing memories. Do things you love. Do things that make you smile.
Then when the curve balls come, it isn't so bad. Make your life the best fucking life you could ever imagine. It is your life after all. Make it a life to remember so that when you look back, there will be plenty of blissful memories that will make you smile. And when you catch yourself smiling while taking that trip down memory lane, it is in that very moment that you will come to see that all the lows were all worth it.
