Happiness is a by-product of improved self-esteem
I would like to push you out of your comfort zone, if you are willing to take the test. Okay, let’s start with a question: Are you happy right now? If not, what is the cause of your unhappiness? You may not know it and that’s fine, but how will you recognize happiness if you can’t distinguish being unhappy? It is not about blaming or judging, but he consented to being pushed out of his comfort zone. Shall we continue? Do you try to get out of your comfort zone often? Do you challenge yourself regularly? Some people strive to challenge their body, through strenuous sporting endeavors. But they may experience little or no personal growth because they become addicted to strong emotions.
If happiness is what we seek, we must do what challenges us, not what makes us happy. Let me explain what I mean. If we seek happiness without personal improvement, it is likely to be short-lived. However, if we pursue personal growth, then happiness is a by-product of improved self-esteem. It requires developing self-confidence and resilience, which improves our self-esteem. Are you with me so far? Can you see how trying to pursue happiness alone is unrealistic because there is no basis for it to last? It’s similar to chasing wild adventures, hoping each one is better than the next. We become addicted to the exciting journey, but we rarely experience lasting happiness.
Those we consider successful, whether they are leaders of our community or of others, spend years nurturing their personal growth. They are happy because their consciousness has expanded to encompass their positive character traits. When we take actions that boost our self-esteem, happiness is likely to last. For example, think about when you graduated from college or received a job promotion. I’m sure you experienced a sense of accomplishment and increased self-esteem, given your dedication to your study or career. The payoff is evident in your commitment to improving the quality of your life.
Choose what pushes you, not what makes you happy
As we improve our personal growth, our level of happiness grows proportionally. Have you noticed that those who feel underappreciated constantly feel miserable or complain about the state of the world? They feel as if life is hitting them, instead of taking control of their own life. Don’t become one of those people because life is not about playing the victim, as we have more power than we realize. Yes, we will make mistakes and experience failures and setbacks. Yes, challenges are sewn into the fabric of life, to enhance our self-esteem, not to crush it. Therefore, we have a choice: we can choose to grow in relation to our problems or to withdraw in despair. But if we opt for the latter, we have the certainty of a life full of misery and discontent.
I’m sure you don’t want to be that person. I feel that if you have read this far, you value your personal growth and want to improve your life. The key is to keep moving forward, even in the face of adversity and difficulties. We must rise up when we meet defeat as we gain inner wisdom, strength, and resilience to overcome our challenges. For example, in my 20s, life was smooth sailing. However, in my 30s, the challenges were more prominent and instead of cowering in defeat, I walked toward them with a strong conviction to grow from my experiences. I have encountered a great deal of pain, anguish, and obstacles throughout my life, but I have experienced immense personal growth and can therefore share this wisdom with others.
Therefore, I invite you to choose what pushes you, not what makes you happy because you can be happy now, but miserable in the long run. If you find yourself in a difficult situation, instead of running away from it, lean on it. You may find that it is more than you can tolerate and that is fine. Trust that you will grow in proportion to your challenges, as long as you don’t give up. Trust, you have the ability to overcome difficult problems. Trust, you will gain enough growth to expand your consciousness beyond your current state. Knowing this, I would like you to take 15 minutes to examine your current challenges. See if you can notice what they invite you to learn about yourself? Is it: patience, understanding, self-reliance, resilience, courage, etc.? It is when we learn to dance with life that the song we sing will express itself through our setbacks and challenges.