For generations, society has pursued the elusive promise of happiness. But how do we acquire happiness? Is there a proven formula that can ensure our happiness in life? Dark Joseph Ravine shares his perspective on happiness; he believes that happiness is something that can only be maintained by our own personal choice. We have to decide to be happy using our own free will. Happiness is something that can be challenging to create, but if we work hard enough, there is a promising chance we can maintain our levels of happiness and life satisfaction. We create happiness when we live in a state of gratitude and think positively. It is important, however, to note that bringing happiness into our daily living is a process that needs time and our personal efforts. We can’t create our own happiness immediately. We have to learn which thoughts to think and which behaviors to implement before we can be successful at achieving our goals of manifesting happiness.
Happiness may be a struggle for us to implement because of the societal expectation that we can obtain anything we desire. This belief brings about entitlement within us. When we believe that nothing is out of our reach, we become dissatisfied with the blessings we currently have. We may become competitive to ensure that we fulfill our desires and that no one can stop us from getting what we want. Ravine says, “When we behave with entitlement, we become consumed with thinking about how we can get our way. This behavior is the diametrical opposite of happiness. Happiness means we recognize what we have, which can make us kinder people. When we possess many blessings, we would like to share it with others. Giving to others and sharing your skills and talents with them for the greater good of society is what truly brings happiness. My kindness mission aims to encourage people to put others before themselves. Let us move away from selfish behaviors and start giving to others. We will find that we are not only creating a better world, but we are increasing our own levels of happiness and those of others, as well.”
Entitlement does nothing to further our happiness and life satisfaction. In fact, we may seek to harm those we feel jealous of. The solution to countering entitlement and increasing happiness in the world is to live in a state of gratitude. When we recognize what we have, we do not want to hurt others. On the contrary, we want to help them. We want to act in kindness and give of ourselves to others because we are happy. Ravine shares how he began living in gratitude in his own life. “Only when I stopped pursuing things that were out of my reach and began recognizing the good in my life did I truly become a happier person. Therefore, if we wish to create our own happiness,” says Ravine, “we have to accept the blessings we have in our lives and find satisfaction in them. Some things were meant for us, and some things just were not.”
