If you want to be really happy, maybe it’s time to leave the shortcuts and get back on track
The way each person lives is something that has always caught my attention. I remember that when I was a child and had the opportunity to travel, one of the things I most enjoyed doing was looking at the houses along the road and wondering who lived in them and what their lives were like. The years have passed, I have traveled to other countries, but that has not changed: it is by watching people that I learn to live .
Illustrative photo: Andréia Britta / cancaonova.com
I love the fact that we are so many on the planet, and yet there is no one like anyone. It seems that the more technology advances in scientific discoveries, the more it becomes clear how complex the human being is, mysterious and, at the same time, charming. It is enough to stand at a point where many people circulate, for example, that we quickly identify different types of behavior . We see people in a hurry, smiling, serene, cheerful people and also serious, sad and worried people. Not to mention the colors and style that each one expresses in their clothes, hair and way of being. Added to this is also the universe that each of us carries within and the constant changes that our hormones bring about, constantly challenging us to deal with the art of living.
There are days when we are at ease with life and we can overcome challenges lightly. We are kind, smile and say sweet words even to those who try to offend us. But that is not always the case, there are also gray days when the world seems to collapse at any time, and a “certain” anguish steals our smile. Nothing looks good and we even avoid people who are afraid to hurt us even more.
However, it is good to remember that everything passes! The colored days and the gray days pass, and life goes on and we need to go on too, because time is short. In fact, is the time really short or are we the ones who don’t know how to deal with it? The constant rush and the desire to be everywhere at the same time has pushed us subtly into the abyss of “ instant happiness ” that can result in meaninglessness.
The technology that contributes to progress, placing the world practically in the palm of our hand, cannot condition us to live on automatic. Here is the adage: “with people it is different”, and it needs to be different! We are moved by affection, we need presence, hugs and hands that support us as we walk. It is good to remember that although we play different roles, we are somehow interconnected and need each other to be truly happy. Isolation, which in most cases is caused by the fear of loving, has led many people to choose superficial and self-interested relationships, which, instead of edifying, end up wearing people down.
So if you want to be really happy, maybe it’s time to leave the shortcuts and get back on track. In my opinion, the first step is to engage in the cultivation of deep affective relationships . Dare to go out to people and offer love simply because you want to love and you know you need to love. If I have the courage to do so, I am sure that you will not have to go very far, because at work, on the street, in orphanages and even inside our own homes, there are people thirsty for love.
The second step, no less important than the first, is to seek God with all our heart! By finding God again, you find yourself and begin to realize the meaning of life and each event in a totally new way. Piety practices, participation in the sacraments and, of course, all this, together with the firm decision to change your life, will lead you to the happiness you are looking for. Courage, take the first step, that God will help you to move forward!
