Hello fellow nerds.
So today let's talk about when to consider yourself or someone happy. If you're like me during my 20s, you just thought some people's lives were perfect and yours was crap.
For 10 years, that's how I thought.
I never thought that my life would be on the upswing. But lo and behold, my life improved with therapy, being more courageous, and expressing myself authentically.
If you told me this at 21, I would have said that it was impossible. And I can't blame myself for thinking this way, since I didn't have any guidance or a mature point of view.
And the sad part,
there is ancient wisdom out there talking about how to look at happiness in life. And this could have helped me when I was going through 10 years of my personal hell.
Where is this ancient wisdom?
It's here with the ancient Greek Sage:
‘My lord, we Greeks have basically been only moderately endowed by the gods, and this limitation explains why our understanding is apparently so cautious and ordinary, rather than being splendid and fit for a king. Because this average intelligence of ours sees that life is constantly liable to vicissitudes of all kinds, it stops us getting overexcited when things are going well for us, or being impressed by a person’s good fortune when there is still time for things to change. The future that bears down on each of us is variable and determined by unknowable factors, and so we consider a man happy only when the gods have granted him success right up to the end of his life. However, to count anyone happy while he is still alive and still faced with all the uncertainties of life is as unsound and invalid as proclaiming an athlete the winner and crowning him while the contest is still in progress.’
Basically, you can't consider anyone happy until the end of life. There is so much that can happen, that it's foolish to think everything is set in stone.
Think of all the child stars, where they were on top of the world, and then later on in life, things don't end well.
Or how about SBF, the crypto's Warren Buffet, now dealing with possible jail time. Or professional athletes that are broke now.
I can keep bringing up examples.
But as you live your life, just remember it's a marathon. And if you're not happy with your current situation, understand that it's just like that for now and it will change. And if you see others looking happy, don't get envious, because there is a lot of life to live, and they'll face their own challenges.
Focus on yourself, improve your standards in life, improve your relationships, and be more courageous. Then by the end of your life, after all the ups and down, you can say it was a great ride.
Until next time,
Bulcha
The Charismatic Nerd