Don’t Try To Change Your Life
Do This Instead
Many people want to change their lives. Books and videos promising life changes receive a lot of clicks, revealing much about those who engage with these headlines: they seek change.
But why?
Something in their lives feels amiss, or they perceive their existence as lacking. What exactly do they want to change in their lives?
Money — They aspire to wealth.
Health — They desire better health.
Relationships — They seek to improve their interpersonal connections.
All these pursuits aim for happiness.
Happiness is not permanent
Changing your life is a quest towards happiness, but happiness itself is transient. It comes and goes, fluctuating with circumstances. Stress arises from problems, which many wish to avoid at all costs.
However, problems are a constant; from birth until death, the need to solve problems persists. The desire to escape problems can lead to unhappiness. Learning to cope with problems, on the other hand, can pave the way to happiness.
Happiness is not a destination.
Achieving a certain status or a change in circumstances doesn’t automatically result in happiness. If you are poor, you face the problems of poverty; if you become rich, you encounter issues unique to wealth.
This mindset, always aspiring to be elsewhere or someone else, leads to perpetual dissatisfaction with the present. Hence, while it’s not wrong to pursue goals, happiness is found in the journey. Learning to enjoy the process is a way to be happy, no matter what.
Problems won’t disappear overnight or they do?
This brings us to the problem of dealing with life’s challenges. Merely wishing problems away doesn’t work.
Solutions require effort and action. The expectation that problems will vanish without effort is a misconception often fueled by the “magic” promised in certain books and videos.
Unfortunately, such magic doesn’t exist, leading to a continuous search for answers in the wrong places. The quest should be inward, based on personal reflection and action.
Here’s a straightforward approach:
1. List all your problems — They are likely fewer than ten. Write them down, whether they concern money, health, relationships, or anything else.
2. Solve them one by one — Identify solutions, make a plan, and tackle each issue sequentially.
This method is all you need for happiness. Nothing more is required.
