Today, the world has reached the modern version of perfectionism. Everyone is trying to make everything appear flawless and valuable. A trophy of perfection has been placed on a pedestal, and we are all running a race to grab it and wear that label. Whether it is our lifestyle, our jobs, our social circles, or even the accessories we wear, we are all chasing the “perfect” one. The irony is that even after we finally get what we want, the charm fades the moment we see someone else with something better or different. We have mislabeled this pursuit as happiness. We think that if we gather enough good food, good clothes, a good job, and good friends, we will finally be happy. But how can things that are destined to fade one day provide us with permanent happiness? It is a question we rarely stop to ask.
When life offers us problems, we try to run. We bury ourselves in endless activities, staying busy just to ignore the complexities of our existence. We don’t realize that as soon as the distraction fades, we are left alone with those same sad feelings and unresolved issues. We never try to listen to what our soul directs. We keep involving ourselves in things that give us nothing but more confusion. If these things don’t lead to peace, why do we continue to chase them?
We never try to listen to what our soul directs. We keep involving ourselves in things that give us nothing but more confusion. If these things don’t lead to peace, why do we continue to chase them?
Distraction is not your real happiness. Your true happiness might be something entirely different, but instead of finding it, we keep ourselves busy with the noise of the world. The most famous distraction nowadays is social media; it hooks us and feeds us entertainment, keeping us from doing the hard work of building our own lives. Instead of listening to our hearts, we follow trends. We live by the idea that “the majority is authority,” and in the process, we lose our creativity and our uniqueness. We blindly follow the crowd and compete in situations where we don’t even need to be. Can you imagine competing with others just to prove you are living a “better” life? If you aren’t living for yourself, what else can you possibly do?
In this race, we lose ourselves. To break through this “happiness ceiling,” we need to look up at the open sky of our own soul. We need to follow the urgings that point to the core of our being. We need to sit in the quiet and confront our own confusions. What are they saying to us? What do they truly want? Where is the peace? Do they want success, a better job, or love? We must listen to these questions and find the answers within ourselves.
Life is short, so we have to make sure we live it properly. People often reach the finish line, surrounded by all the material parts of life, only to realize they still aren’t happy. We have to understand that happiness is not about the body or the material world; it is about the soul. We need to run in the direction our soul wants us to go. We need to discover who we are, what we want, and what our true purpose is. When we finally find those answers, we will finally set ourselves free.