A senior in my sorority recently gave some valuable advice. So valuable, in fact, that I decided to share her words of wisdom in this article. The senior, Sana Siddiqui, spoke about "a two-part rule to happiness." At first, I thought, "Well, of course we should do those things." But then I realized, most people don't do those things at all, and that is what makes this two-part rule for happiness so significant.
1. Always be honest with yourself
This may seem simple, but I promise that this rule goes much deeper than you think. My common belief is that most people fib to themselves to make their life seem a little better than it is. I think we are all guilty of amping up our Instagram posts from time to time to make it seem like our lives are so relevant and better than everyone else's. Or maybe we go along with things that we don't always agree with. Or maybe, we reassure ourselves that we have it pretty figured out. You're probably thinking, "What's so wrong with that? If it makes me happier for the time being, then what can possibly be so harmful?"
The problem is not in the short instances where we fake happiness for a little while, but it is the culture that surrounds this phenomenon and the long-term, negative effects that this type of complacence will cause you.
When we are not being honest with ourselves, we are turning our backs against what we know is true. We are ignoring the moral instincts of how we were raised to live our lives.
With each decision you make based off of a faulty truth you have been telling yourself, you step farther away from the path that leads to your real happiness.
So be honest with yourself. Respect yourself enough to realize that what you're doing at the moment may not working, and that's OK. At least this way you give yourself a fair chance to do things right, instead of veering so far down the wrong path that it's hard to get back on track.
2. Never be ashamed of what makes you happy
Where there is happiness, there are people who thrive off of tearing it apart. I've seen it time and time again. I'm not quite sure if it is intentional, or if these people just carry a happiness-sucking warp around them, but I do know that somewhere along the line, people forgot how to support one another.
However, I don't think that we should consider ourselves victims of these senseless acts of degradation. After all, at the end of the day, the only person who gets to decide how you feel is you.
Like a lot of people, I care about what other people think more than I like to admit. In fact, I think most people would agree that we let others dictate our lives in more ways than one. Whether it is a hobby, the friends you have, or your major in school, all too often these things are shaped by the people who surround us.
When was the last time you tried something new?
Those ideas, thoughts and wishes in the back of your head aren't there to take up space. Neither are the things you care about most. If you have a passion, run with it. If people cannot support that passion, then maybe they are the ones taking up space, and your space is valuable.
What I am getting at is that your happiness should not be the result of what others think it should be, it should be whatever you want it to be.
You shouldn't ever have to hide your passion from the world, and you definitely should never have to feel ashamed of what makes you happy.
To reiterate the two-part rule for happiness:
1. Always be honest with yourself.
2. Never be ashamed of what makes you happy.
Does the two-part rule for happiness resonate with your life? Share or comment!
