What do you see when you look in the mirror?

This is a question that always seems to get me every time that I think about myself being unsure about my success. I look at my past and how I was brought up, and I look at my current situation that I’m in now. I would have to say at this point in my life, there would be nothing more satisfying in my life than to be happy. I don’t understand why people see currency as a form of happiness. Sure money buys you things that you wouldn’t have had if not for it; but does money really buy happiness? Furthermore, can you really put a price on such happiness?

I realized the college that I attended, and how the demographics of the campus did not correlate with the level of involvement, leading to the school maintaining such a bad reputation; having students dropping out like a faucet leak. I tend to wonder why we continue to pressure ourselves to make 4.0 grade point averages and assume that the grades and the degree alone will guarantee you a job. We spend so much time studying and not enough time learning. We spend so much time expanding our vocabulary, but not enough time expanding your knowledge. I always tell people that words are great if you know what the words mean.

If you are like me, then you know that success is an aspect that doesn’t come easy. You truly have to work for it and make sure that you are not failing behind. We grew up learning that hard work pays off and that the harder you work the more success you will obtain. However, has anybody stop to tell you that hard work also does not equal happiness? Has anybody stop to tell you that beginning and ending your life believing and truly enforcing your happiness will make your life enjoyable? We spend too much time on security and how we fit in the world, and we don’t stop to think about the damage that we are exerting to ourselves. We spend our time complaining and fighting over things that wouldn’t get us anywhere in life if they were resolved anyway.

I remembered how I became the man that I am today, and I realized that I didn’t get to where I’m at because I was complaining every day. I got to where I’m at now because I had to overcome and just be happy. I realized that being happy brings you success because happiness is what brings success. When you love yourself and work towards making you happy, then working hard becomes a hobby, and not a requirement. Spending time with your family and friends becomes more of an occupation and less of a chore. Most of all, feeling free becomes more of a right and less of a restriction.

Morale of the story is… if we spend more of our time complaining about the good and bad of our lives, our nation, and our community, how will we truly become happy? But then again… will we ever see happiness as one of the core values of life? Because happiness cannot be extracted, therefore happiness is recognized. When you recognize happiness, then you can be successful.

And Success… doesn’t define your happiness, but it defines who you are.