my deluded face

1) That it's a race

I blame all the hustling and no-excuses-style bullshit the self-help world has been advocating.

It's almost as if you're losing out in life just because you're not happy.

No, happiness is not a race. Just because someone else is happy doesn't mean you should be or are entitled to be so.

Your problems are not their's and you need to solve it your own way just so you can be happy your own way.

That said...

2) That as if it's a disease to feel unhappy

No man, it's not. 

You're only human. You know what that means? You're going to feel a shit ton of other emotions like fear, anger, anxiety and frustration. 

Notice I picked all the shitty ones that make you feel like that. You know why?

Because it's perfectly fine to feel any of them! In fact, it's downright healthy. You fucking need these bad boys to function.

You just gotta make sure you don't judge yourself for feeling them.

3) That money can't buy happiness

Come on... I mean, just come on!

Oh sure, we know of many rich folks who are still unhappy, but it's obvious that money in this world would make our lives a lot easier.

Even if you spend it on hookers and booze, you're going to be happy for a bit!

I am being flippant, but more importantly, you need to work hard for your money to sustain yourself to even get a chance to be happy!

So stop listening to rich folks or lazy ass hippies who tell you money can't buy happiness. One has too much of it while one is just a bum leeching off others.

4) That you can find it in a book, course, seminar or some shit

Because so said that amazing speaker, inspirational life coach or viral writer right?

Wrong.

They're just selling to you.

Oh sure, it can hype you the fuck up and make you feel pumped! But it's not going to last forever.

If you want to maintain some form of happiness in your life, find it yourself. Go out and experience some real shit so you can create a perspective that'd serve to create some good feelings.

5) That it should be a constant

To kind of reiterate the first couple of points, no, being happy isn't a constant. It's not a permanent state.

In other words, it's not a cure.

You may have worked hard through therapy or some soul-searching to attain some amazing epiphanies that change your life, but that doesn't mean you're going to be happy forever.

Life will simply get in the way again and with that, you're going to feel shitty again and again, and again.

But take heed: There's nothing wrong with you. You didn't "relapse" or some shit. 

It's only human nature.

On the bright side then, the happiness that seemed to escape you will come back, so don't despair, don't give up.

6) That it should be the end goal for everyone

You'll be surprised, but there're tons of people out there who're actually working towards something even greater than being merely happy. 

Some would sacrifice everything just for their own kids to be happy (and that would ultimately make them feel a tiny ounce of happiness which is worth it for them.)

Some want to die as soon as possible because of an incurable disease.

Some want to simply help others.

If you're happy, good on you, but don't rain on others' parade.

If you're not happy, well, work out on your own end goals then and don't let others influence you.

7) It's a choice

I personally do not believe that it is.

I am sure people who disagree would argue that it is, but let me just say...

Tell this to a terminally-ill kid with cancer.

Tell this to a starving kid in Africa.

Tell this to a clinically depressed person.

Tell this to a person who had to go through extreme trauma early on in their life.

They're not going to tell you that it's a choice.