I came across an article recently titled, "The Pressure to Be Happy," while doing an assignment for my Psychology class and it really struck me. I was able to relate by the time I finished reading the first line. "What's your goal in life? To be happy. To find happiness."
I can recall saying those very words not too long ago. I just want to be happy. Truly happy. After reading this article, I came to a realization. People are molded and pressured into this belief that Happiness is the ONLY goal, when it shouldn't be.
Emotions are real, and it's okay to feel them. To experience them for all that they are, part of us. We're not always taught that, or we are, but we forget it along the road to adulthood. Like a lost suitcase.
We're told not to cry, or scream, or feel frightened. Well, sometimes it's okay to cry, scream, feel frightened! We often forget that these are normal emotions. Yes, I said normal! We wouldn't know what true happiness felt like without having experienced fear, or sadness, or anger.
So, I have new goals. I don't just want to experience happiness, I want to experience it all. Everything. I want to feel angry and upset and frightened and irritable and happy too. I want it all because it reminds me of what happiness is. And that is where I want my reality. I want to look in the mirror and not see a sculpture of a woman who's been doing all she can to try and be happy. I want to see a woman who has felt it all and despite that, still remembers what it's like to be happy. And comes back to that feeling more often then not.
