Don't look at the sun

Happiness runs if you chase it.
The Happiness Paradox, as psychologists call it.
To come home empty-handed is the key in this hunt.

Think of it like this.
Sunsets make us happy.
But you'd never see one if you kept chasing it.
So you stop. You sit. And there it is.

You can't go at happiness head-on.
Come in sideways.
People. Purpose. Curiosity.
And whatever swallows you whole.

Contentment is connection.
People with purpose are happier.
Curious humans live longer.
A mind lost in a task never stops to ask if it's happy.

Here's the strange bit.
Hardship makes you happy.
Work that tests you.
The people who break your heart.
That's not the price of happiness.
It's the recipe.
Muscle only grows when you break it a little.
Scientists call this antifragility.
Coming up with that word probably made them very happy.

So put things you love in the diary.
And people too.
Follow your nose.
Forget about the chase.
And wait for the sun to set.
Let it come to you.


References:
Don't chase happiness. Become antifragile — Tal Ben-Shahar, Big Think

Purpose and mortality — Alimujiang et al, JAMA Network Open, 2019

Curiosity and longevity — Swan & Carmelli, Psychology and Aging, 1996