These 5 things are stopping you from being happy

@emmaleger

By: Mahrukh Sanai

Happiness is something desired by all of us and we spend our lives pursuing it. But it seems to be getting more subtle. All advertisements try to sell us things that aim to make us happy but still we are not happy. Why are we unhappy at this age when life is more comfortable than before and we have all conditions to be happy?

Many obstacles in our life prevent us from being happy but luckily they can be controlled. Let us have a look at what are the things that prevent our happiness and what we can do to control it.

1. Fear of change

Many times we remain stuck in life due to the element of fear in our lives. This can be due to fear of change, fear of what people may think, of security, and what is safe for us. We might get stuck in a soulless and toxic relationship, unfulfilling jobs, bad places, etc but seem unable to change it. We can do it by showing some courage in the face of adversity.

It takes some courage to step out of your comfort zone but only you can do it. Unless you take the first step, you will not be able to change something necessary and become the best version of yourself.

2. Postponing Happiness to Future

We make the mistake of postponing our happiness until a time in the future arrives when everything is perfect. We wait the whole week for Saturday and the whole year for the Holidays. We keep waiting for happiness till the end of the week, the end of the year, and maybe the end of our lives. But we must know that a perfect life does not exist. We should not look for perfect conditions, rather enjoy what little things in our everyday life and try to make each day count.

3. Comparison is the thief of joy

You might look at people who are better than you and wonder they have it all figured out. We live in a world where we are pressured to be the best. The media constantly bombards us with people who are more beautiful, talented, intelligent, and stronger than us and we feel inadequate compared to them. So, instead of comparing ourselves with ideals, we should strive to be the best version of ourselves and fulfil our potential to the best of our capability.

4. Expectations in life

Sometimes we put unnecessary pressure on our self to be perfect in all aspects of life. Perfect job, perfect body, perfect relationships, blah blah blah. We disregard the fact that nobody is perfect and we are all imperfect humans. So, we need to stop putting this unnecessary pressure on ourselves and stop expecting perfect lives and surroundings.

5. Not happy for what we have in life

We take our lives for granted and do not appreciate the small things in life. We should be grateful for all the little things we have in our lives. There is the feeling that grass is greener on the other side but it never is. We keep pursuing things that add to our joy while forgetting about the things that are present in our lives that fill us with joy. Keep a gratitude diary and add all the big and small things in life that keep you happy every day.

We need to remind ourselves that happiness is a journey, not a destination. It is about what happens along this journey and there are the small moments that add to our happiness. It is possible when we rise beyond our limitations and embrace the power within. Surely, we will be able to create a happy life for ourselves in this small world.