Last night, I dreamed that I ran into one of the boys I used to work with. He was very happy to see me; heck, he was happy, period. Living a good life, excited to be out and exploring the world. He had a friend with him, and we talked for a bit. It was a really good dream.
Everybody deserves a happy ending. Everybody. But the unfortunate reality is that we live in a world where most people have forgotten what it even means to be happy. I walk past a park and see mothers, fathers, babysitters all texting or reading on their smartphones while their kids try desperately to get their attention. I drive and am surrounded by people going to fast they never think to look back and see what they left behind. We have abandoned happiness in favor of success.
According to Dictionary.com, success means "the attainment of wealth, position, honors, or the like." There is nothing there about happiness. It explains the rampant diagnoses of depression and anxiety in our society; to be so consumed by monetary gain that all else is forgotten leaves us feeling hopeless, forgotten, and unloved.
Don't get me wrong, I do not harbor hatred toward success itself. But I certainly disagree with today's definition. To me, to be successful is to be happy where you are. I would consider myself successful, even though I am half broke, constantly on the move, and sleep deprived. I love my life. I love the goals I have for the future, of course, but I also love this moment. I am happy.
And because of that, I'm pretty sure I'm richer than Bill Gates.
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