This all came from me watching the film 'Me Before You' (I totally love it & need to read the book & it's so romantic) ... because was Louisa really enjoying all the new experiences Will's money was paying for... like he seemed to think... or was she simply enjoying his company? Do cool experiences & adventures equal happiness? by Rosa Fairfield.
It also kind of reminded me of the time when my ex-boyfriend asked me what my happiest memory was and I gave him a list of random achievements. As, he pointed out to me, those were achievements not memories.
I feel this has a whole lot to do with millennial culture. It's like: 'yeah, the world is our oyster, we need to do and see everything'. Are millennials really happier than generations before or are we all just turning into a bunch of miserable loners? (Says the girl that spends most of her time locked in a room, typing at her computer).
That's the thing though. I have done a lot of cool stuff. I've travelled to so many different places, I've swam with dolphins, been to glamorous parties, danced in the rain, been in a helicopter... and so many more things most people would like to tick of a bucket list. I'm not complaining, I'm so grateful for everything I've done so far but I also think happiness is relative. I've smiled sitting in my room & I've cried in Disneyland. I don't think it necessarily works that way. I had so many happy experiences in university that involved me and my roommate singing in the street by our house.
There's no such thing, as 'fun experiences' really, something is only fun if you make it fun. That horseback ride in the sea isn't guaranteed to bring you joy, if you're not in the right mood. It's not something you can force.
So, yeah, all those mega awesome looking experiences you see on Instagram... It doesn't automatically mean they're bringing those people happiness and it doesn't automatically mean they would bring you happiness if you had them. We're all different and no experience is guaranteed to cause the same reaction twice.
On the other hand, for some people it does bring that joy. For some people, the achievements, the successes are the important things. There's no right or wrong way to feel. We're all a little weird.
I guess the key to being happy, is realising that there are many other emotions, which are also just as interesting to experience. But, if you want a happy moment... figure out what makes you happy that you can go out and find right now and go for it.
I mean, the problem is when another person is involved in your happiness scenario... because, back to the film, Will & Louisa wanted different things. That's often the case with so many people and why relationships platonic or otherwise end up falling apart. That's just life though, sometimes that's why we just have to accept it and hope to find some happiness elsewhere because life isn't a fairytale.