I dare you to the ultimate dare. I dare you not to be happy. Before you just chalk this up to one of those extremely new age talking points really hear me out. Being happy sounds easy, right? Here's the thing, it isn't.
Thus, I propose to you 10 reasons why you shouldn't be happy.
1. It makes you vulnerable.
Being happy means that you're vulnerable to having that happiness taken away. Having anything in life taken away is an awful feeling that creates a sense of loss and longing. Anyone who has experienced losing something, especially love in some capacity, knows how hard it is to come back from that loss. It's a feeling most people would never wish on their worst enemy.
2. It means you're uncomfortably aware of your surroundings.
Being happy means that you are aware of how great everything in your life is, or isn't. However, part of being happy means that you understand that just because life may be a certain way at the present moment, doesn't mean that you are destined to stay in a shitty situation, or a great one for that matter. Thus, you continue to be mindful of how lucky you are.
3. It means you will never be perfect.
Being perfect is an unobtainable idea, and one that many people strive for their entire lives. The day you decide that you will never be perfect, is the day you decide that all your imperfections are important to who you are, and what makes you uniquely beautiful. Accepting this definite life circumstance is an incredibly hard thing to do.
4. It means money loses its value.
When you become happy, you quickly understand that value is not defined by monetary means. Yes, money will still be a necessary need to survive in our world, but it isn't what makes your world go round. You understand that being rich means living a full, healthy and joyous life with those that you love. The rat race of life starts to slow down, and you feel less inclined to have frivolous things everywhere.
5. It makes you threatening.
Being happy means others, who haven't found their happiness, will try and take yours away. It means you will have to say goodbye to some friendships, relationships and even love. Being happy means that you're going to feel threatening to others because they have yet to learn the fact that happiness comes from within.
6. It makes you sad.
Being happy doesn't always mean you walk around with a smile from ear to ear. It means that you're quite sad at moments in your life. However, it's happy people that recognize this occurrence as important because it helps them appreciate the light that shines from within, and facilitates the tools for coping.
7. It makes you weak.
Only a very happy person has the ability to say I am not strong enough to go through this terrible problem in my life on my own. When you are happy, you are able to admit when life has gotten you down, and seek the guidance and support of others. This is a humbling experience, but one that is beyond important to accept and vocalize.
8. It makes you scary.
When you're happy others will often find you scary. Being afraid of something usually means that we're simply uneducated about the frightening topic, thus being confused. Learning about something takes time, and in our world of instant access, if something takes time to accomplish, it usually feels daunting and less appealing to execute.
9. It makes you dangerous.
Being truly happy means that you have accepted yourself for all your faults and imperfections, and are simply unafraid to be who you uniquely are. When you arrive at this point in your life, you become extremely dangerous because you're no longer susceptible to others' unnecessary need to put people down in order to feel better, more powerful, and superior. Having zero fucks to give, makes you the most dangerous type of person.
10. It means you have to work really hard.
Being happy isn't easy. It means that you have to wake up everyday and decide that you want to be happy. You have to mindfully go through a grueling process each morning to train your brain to make decisions that sometimes aren't easy to make. You have to allow yourself to accept the negative things in your life, as an opportunity to grow and experience something you hadn't before. This work will test you, push you and be a never-ending process until the day you die. Talk about a commitment.
11. It means you have to give in.
Giving into things that we don't always want to give into is a test of the human will. The ability to say, I will give up my predisposed condition to fight, and give into all the beauty that surrounds me is an unnatural process. When you are so used to fighting, not fighting becomes a very hard occurrence to accept. It's strange, it's weird, it's uncomfortable.
Ultimately, being happy means that even when things aren't perfect you still understand how blessed you truly are. You remain in a constant state of uncomfortable change, evolution and metamorphism because you know that this is a process that requires care and love. You will have to make sacrifices, take time out of each one of your busy days, and learn to say yes and no more often then we are taught.
I dare you to not be happy.
But what I really dare you to do is be beyond grateful for everything in your life.
I dare you to do this scary thing, and watch your life change.
I dare you to give in, and fight for the happiness that you are deserving of.
Shawn Achor has said, "Happiness is the joy we feel as we head towards our potential."
I think happiness is just that watching our lives change for the better as we challenge ourselves to think outside the box, and illuminate our own great adventures.
May you find your joy, your love, your light.