Other People Are Not Responsible For Your Happiness
It’s up to you to see the glass half full
Happiness — it’s something we chase, something we seek, something we crave as humans.
Happiness is something we look to define, something that we want, and yet it’s not something we can hold in our hands.
The simplest definition of happiness is defined as a sense of well-being, joy, or contentment. When people are successful, or safe, or lucky, they feel happiness. While this is true, we forget the part where we remind one another that it’s something that must come from within.
You cannot depend on external factors to determine your happiness and set your own expectations for this life that you’re leading — you have to do that for yourself.
If you want to be happy, another human being will not be the thing that suddenly makes you a happy individual. Can a spouse, partner, best friend, sibling, or a parent bring joy and happiness into your life? Absolutely — and I hope that the ones whom you call your family and friends and forever love do that for you. I hope they cheer you on when you’re in the thicket of success, and I hope they catch you when you fall, and I hope they stand beside you through good time and bad. But, I hope you know that your happiness cannot come from them — it has to come from you.
You have to decide what makes you happy — and you have everything you need within you to find the joy that you seek.
Maybe that means that you carve out more time for yourself so that you can work on the passion projects that give you an extra spark in your zest for life.
Maybe that means you prioritize your health — and you are diligent about drinking more water, and eating food that blesses your body, and finding ways to move your body so that you feel as strong on the inside as you look on the outside.
Maybe that means you give yourself the freedom to explore and try new things, and you let go of the notion that one must pursue their passions. Perhaps you give yourself the time and grace and space to let newfound hobbies and likes present themselves to you.
Maybe that means you’re more particular about the company that you keep. Perhaps you recognize that you are an empath, and the emotions of others are palpable to you. So maybe you elect to surround yourself with folks who acknowledge the pain that exists in this world and themselves but put their focus on seeking joy.
Maybe that means that you ask for help. Perhaps that looks like leaning on loved ones when you need to chat, or going to a therapist, or finding a mental health professional that can support you the way you need.
You cannot hold other people responsible for the state of your own happiness — holding onto that, and cultivating that, and feeding that happiness is up to you.
It’s up to you to choose the path towards joy.
It’s up to you to see the glass half full.
It’s up to you to set expectations for yourself — you cannot expect others to hold you to a higher standard if you don’t hold that same standard for yourself.
If you want to be the best at what you do, you’re the one who has to make it happen.
If you want to be financially stable, you’re the one who has to plan to make it happen.
If you have a dream that you know will change the world for the better, but others might think it’s crazy, it’s up to you to bring that dream to fruition.
Other people are not responsible for your happiness, or your success, or making sure that you reach the heights that you wish to achieve in your lifetime.
That’s on you — and it always will be.
