Why We Are the Architects of Our Own Happiness

We are the senior creators. We are the originators. We are the sole architects of our own happiness.

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We are the CEOs. We are the head designers. We are the top engineers. We are the senior creators. We are the originators. We are the sole architects of our own happiness.

Yet still we somehow have learned along the way that people and things equal satisfaction. Is it because celebrities post photos with glassy-eyed smiles alongside their new rides and homes? Is it because that one love novel told us that “she was dead inside until he planted the seeds of delight and hope”? Is it because every movie character who has ever loved has lived in despair without the contentment drawn from another person? Somehow, true happiness has been lost in translation.

How could we have allowed ourselves to be duped for so long into the belief that something external has the sole determination in how we navigate the world from within? This is the moment where I quote some fancy findings from some cutting-edge research article. However, there is no need. See we have this thing called a spirit within.

Our spirit is so fragile, yet it is the single strongest thing we own. How do people with horrible diseases still smile? How do those with a broken heart still find joy? The spirit within is powerful, and it is the only thing on earth that can be ripped into shreds but can perfectly mend itself with time. Think about the starfish and how it can regrow its arms. The spirit is that but a million times better. He who created our spirit knew that it would be the greatest gift of all. The spirit is our compass to happiness, yet we are the tour guides. But the unthinkable has happened—we have allowed society to infiltrate our spirit, leading to malfunctions of false happiness.

Here is the real equation:

Happiness = Our Spirit Within + Our Inner Will + Our Belief in the Feeling of Contentment

In this world, we have come amongst some rough times. We are in a world where bad things in the media get more ‘likes’ and attention than the good. Yet somehow there are still these aggregates of light shining through the cracks of this troubled society. Evil and negativity is desperate to fill in the gaps, but there are so many people out there who refuse to let it happen. Every day they wake up and they make a choice. They CHOOSE bravery over fear. They CHOOSE optimism over apathy. They CHOOSE empathy over distrust. They CHOOSE charity over selfishness. They CHOOSE happiness over hopelessness. When they make these choices, the light is blinding, and it is impossible to ignore. They inspire others to tap into their own spirits and find those bright spots hidden within.

You need to make a choice today, tomorrow, and every day. No matter what happens, you have a weapon that never dies. How will you use yours? Thought Catalog Logo Mark