"Just do what makes you happy."

Yeah, well, easier said than done.

What does "doing what makes you happy" even mean? Sometimes the things that make you happy in the moment make you sick in the long run. And sometimes the things that are unpleasant in the moment make you better in the future.

So what are people referring to when they say to do what makes you happy? Making you happy in the short run or the long run?

And is doing what makes you happy the same as doing what is right?

Well, I've spent a whole lot of time thinking about this.

I've found myself making a lot of decisions based on what I think will be right for me in the long run, but might be terrible or painful in the moment.

I'm going to break that down. I do what is right or best in my personal opinion. That means that my personal morals and opinions determine my actions.

I also tend to focus on the long run. I don't know if this makes me blind to short-run benefits-- it might, but I think it mainly helps me focus on cause-and-effect.

I spent a lot of time trying to understand why I do this, and why my short-run happiness is sometimes something I'm willing to risk.

To me, happiness is the end goal. It's what I aim for and strive for with each decision I make. So, being a goal, happiness is not always something that can be achieved with one decision; it could take a series of steps and time.

But, I get a certain joy out of knowing that I'm working towards this goal. I am still happy every single day, knowing that I'm moving in a positive direction towards my best me.

That being said, we all have different end goals. Maybe yours is health or wealth or fame. And I don't know if happiness is necessarily a factor or goal in everyone's individual steps and end-games.

What I'm trying to say is happiness doesn't have a universal definition. And I don't think what's "right" or "best" does either. I think both concepts are based on end goals and hopes for the future.

So happiness is personalized. I like that.