Have We Made Happiness Too Hard to Find?

Did you wake up today feeling down? Do you think you need to do something quickly to overcome that feeling and get your emotions back on the happiness track? Does your husband or friend try to cheer you up? Do you feel like a failure if you don’t feel happy?

Consider this quote: “When people place a great deal of pressure on themselves to feel happy, or think that others around them do, they are more likely to see their negative emotions and experiences as signals of failure. This will only drive more unhappiness.” Brock Bastian

I’ll be happy when….

I realized in my 20’s that I was consistently waiting for the next thing to happen for me to feel happy. In my research for this article, this way of thinking has a name, Deferred Happiness Syndrome. I wanted and needed to finish my degree, to meet the perfect partner, to purchase a home, and start my family, then I would be happy. When I achieved one thing, there was always the next thing. I wasted years waiting and putting my trust that the next thing would help me feel complete and happy. Is this you? Are you waiting for something to happen to feel happiness? Focusing on achieving or getting “the thing,” caused me to miss the best parts of every day, right in the moment. Plus, trying so hard to find happiness made me sad and confirmed to myself I was lacking in some way.

Pressure to be Happy

This quote resonates with me from a fictional book I was reading, After She Left, by