I gonna do what makes me happy

I present you with observations and let you decide what to do next. Some people take it as do whatever makes you feel good right now regardless of the consequences it creates in the future.

A life without any vices is a boring one. Even Seneca extolled the virtues of occasionally getting wasted:. I spent a good portion doing nothing more than working for half a decade. A certain amount of pleasure is important. I fear that we now have generations of people who are only focused on what makes them feel good in the present moment. Riding on the hedonic treadmill with no end in sight, getting maximum pleasure but little to no meaning, along with a bunch of unintended consequences.

Some of the happiest moments in my life came from the satisfaction of a job well done. Not only that, but the satisfaction of a job well done on something that really mattered to me, that aligned with who I truly was at my core, that gave me that sense of meaning that eluded me for most of my life.

I felt it when I held the proof copy of each one of my books in my hand. I felt it when I got off stage after giving a talk in front of thousands of people and signed autographs. We all have that picture in our minds of who we could become, and there are few better feelings than becoming that person. Do what makes you happy in the moment yes, but also achieve the things that are going to make you happy when you look back on them.

How are you supposed to know what to pursue? How do you know what will make you happy in the future? How do you ever really know what you want? Can you ever really know? The euphoria wears off pretty quickly. One year I made more money than I did in my entire life before that. Millions of people read my work every year. So what do I do know? I focus on other missions, continue to level up, and spend my time making educated guesses about what will make me happy in the future. Guesses that will probably end up not entirely coming true.

You aim for something you think you want. All Rights Reserved. Well, I got my hand. What more does a man need? My mom was always like, "If I know that my kid is having fun, she's gonna do whatever she wants. Whether that's gymnastics, learning the car, acting or just being a normal kid, she's gonna do what makes her happy. You have to become involved to make an impact. In order to be different one must be irreplaceble. At this point, you might be ready to start adding back joyful activities into your life.

What did you used to enjoy doing? Whether it was doing art projects, working in your garden, reading, watching movies, or other activities, make a point of dedicating a bit of time each day or week to the things that bring you joy. While you may not immediately feel like doing these things, taking action to add them back into your life will eventually help to boost your mood and bring back the joy you once felt.

And, if there are barriers to you doing the things you used to enjoy, see if there are new activities that can take their place or other ways to go about doing what you used to do. For example, if you used to enjoy lunch dates with friends, but no longer have the ability to meet with them, see if there's another social activity that you can take up and find enjoyable.

Finally, what do you do if you've tried all of the above and you still find that nothing makes you happy? At that point, you may wish to consider enlisting the help of your doctor or a mental health professional. Loss of pleasure and motivation can be a sign of clinical depression , which can sometimes have a biological cause. If you find that nothing makes you happy anymore, start with your mindset, address your physical and mental health, restart activities that you previously found enjoyable, and then take stock of your situation.

If you still feel a lack of enjoyment or motivation, you may be living with clinical depression, which is not a problem you can solve on your own. Remember that there is no shame in reaching out for help if you need it. Especially if you have tried all of the previous suggestions without any improvement, it's important to reach out to your doctor or a mental health professional for help.

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