I Want Life To Be Worth The Joy, Not The Pain

I want people to be worth more than my time. People who are worthy of happiness and joy. The time we spend together, the laughter we share and the sorrows we tell. I like people who inspire me and tell me that life is good in spite of everything that happens. For as long as there are people to enjoy it with, there will always be hope.

It is very beneficial to see life through a positive lens. We are going through difficult times that are pulling us towards a profound change in consciousness. Sometimes social equality and sensitivity to our fellow human beings become empty and almost obsolete abstractions in the light of the drive towards money and a superstructure that is constantly moving its strings.

“Everything worth having has deserved our efforts and attention.”
-Ray Kroc-

In these times of collapse, old guidelines have more value than ever. Those that are based on connecting with people and regaining our love for the simple, pure and important things in life, like love and friendship. For the smallest things ultimately produce the greatest changes. A faint breeze from the wind can cause a big change.

These days, no one is in the mood to waste time on things that cause harm  and extinguish laughter and hope. We want people to make us shine. We want open windows and clear roads. We long to convince ourselves that creating a better world is always possible if there is enough collective will.

The search for happiness in a sad society

Happiness as a constitutional right is evident in many government documents. In the United States Declaration of Independence, Thomas Jefferson, John Adams and Benjamin Franklin wrote in the preamble that everyone has the right to the pursuit of happiness. Japan, South Korea and most recently Brazil have also included this right. Rather than just being a fantasy, it is the most dignified form of respect that people can strive for.

“Happiness consists more in the small conveniences of pleasures that occur every day than in the great happiness that rarely happens to a person during the course of their lives.”
-Benjamin Franklin-

Socrates also reminded his students that the ultimate goal of every person is to be happy. One must make life worth living. To achieve this, according to the wise Athenian, we must invest in virtue, being an example to one another. Buddhism teaches us about mental balance and detachment from material things. All of these pillars, as ironic as it may seem, have been pushed away by Western society, which always focuses on raising GDP and ends up neglecting their unhappy populations. And even though they know the recipe for happiness, it is impossible for them to make it a reality.

We have given way to a world where things are not worth the happiness and joy of most people. They are worth the pain and suffering. In fact, the World Happiness Report, written every year, reports that the countries with the most advanced technology and the highest GDP are not the happiest. Instead, cultures that are highly focused on family relationships and friendships are the ones that achieve a more decent, complete, and satisfying level of emotional well-being.

Creating a world worth the hope and joy, not the pain

Creating a world that is worth the hope and joy and not the pain does not happen overnight. It requires careful work and, above all, a change in consciousness from the smallest spheres of society. From ourselves . We know that states do not see happiness as a fundamental goal, that the care for emotions and individual well-being has been displaced by the “well-being” of the numbers and statistics that govern the ups and downs of our stock market.

“When we share, we increase our ability to be happy.”
-Tibetan proverb-

Therefore, it is important that we begin to open the windows inside us that are slowly rusting over time. It is time to pay attention to our inner world so that the outer world can be worth the joy, the laughter… life.

Keys to change

It may seem obvious, but something as simple as appreciating happiness and inner balance may be the best key to change. This perspective can help you:

• Surround yourself with people who make you feel good,  encourage you and allow you to be yourself all the time. Let this filter allow these people and block those who only make you worried and upset.
• Happiness is above all an absence of fear. Maybe it’s time to rationalize your fear, shed light on it, and transform it. This filter should keep out the paralyzing fear that catches you in your comfort zone.
• It is also time to think about the meaning of “crisis.” For the Greeks, crisis (κρίσις) was simply a period of change. Times of uncertainty are also times of valuable opportunity, which have always brought out the best in us, through resilience and creativity. These are important moments that have no room to give up.

According to Sonja Lyubomirsky, best known for her research into positive emotions, about 50% of our happiness is under our control. The last 50% depends on the things that happen to us and even certain biological factors. These are not bad odds. This is a wonderful place to start making every day worthwhile for our happiness, dreams and well-being.

Photos courtesy Rafal Oblinski