Everything you know about the definition of happiness is untrue.
Yes, everything.
You’ve been deceived. Lied to.
All the things you have read in books, articles, and your Instagram feed.
All the things you have seen on TV, Twitter, and Youtube videos.
All the things you have heard from people, popes, and “spiritual” gurus.
And today, I’m going to reveal some harsh truths about happiness. But if you pay attention, this letter may become a life changing experience for you.
Let’s start digging.
As always, let me ask you a question.
What makes you happy?
Hard to tell, huh? You have a lot on your mind.
Fast cars?
Big house?
Million $$$?
A loving, loyal life partner?
Peace of mind?
Helping the poor?
Saving the environment?
But let’s be real, there is no “ultimate” thing that can make you happy, right?
As you grow, your needs change, and so does your definition of happiness.
At 5, an action figure can make you happy.
At 15, the latest PlayStation can make you happy.
At 25, having a girlfriend or boyfriend can make you happy.
At 35, building your own business can make you happy.
At 45, taking care of family needs can make you happy.
At 55, having enough retirement funds can make you happy.
At 65, having peace and good health can make you happy.
At 75, playing with your grandkids can make you happy.
At 85, just being alive can make you happy.
This simply proves to us that happiness is not permanent, and that it will change as we change.
A rose cannot remain a rosebud all its life, it will bloom.
And a rose cannot remain fresh all its life, it will wither and die.
Here’s the problem, We have built very strict definitions of happiness in our minds.
And it’s not you, it’s the culture that has destroyed your intelligence.
They tell you that you need: A 5-bedroom house, 1 private plane, 3 sports cars, 1 yacht, and $500 million, and then you can be happy.
And this nonsense is hammered into your brain every day. You are being brainwashed. Every. Single. Day.
This does nothing but take you away from your true essence.
There’s nothing wrong with having a big ambition, but don’t let it become the centre of your life. Your whole life shouldn’t revolve around chasing that one thing.
In fact, if you’re living your life like that, there is no difference between you and a 5-year-old crying his eyes out because momma didn’t buy him the latest GI Joe.
So how can one be happy?
Is there a way?
A way that can always keep us happy.
The answers is yes and no.
Huh?
No, it’s not a trick answer. It is the truth.
Let me explain. No, no, let the great Greek philosopher, Socrates, explain.
Socrates once said,
“The secret of happiness, you see, is not found in seeking more, but in developing the capacity to enjoy less.”
You see, Socrates was a wise man. In fact, in my lifetime, I’ve come across only two wise men.
Socrates and Lao Tzu.
And trust me, I’ve read them all, studied them all, and tested them all. And no one comes anywhere near the way these two great grandpas have seen life.
Now I want you to focus on the last part of that quote, that is, ‘developing the capacity to enjoy less’.
Now, this is very deep. If you’re not careful here, there is a high chance that you may misinterpret it, or miss it completely.
‘Developing the capacity to enjoy less’.
Does he mean that we should give up all worldly things and become monks?
Absolutely not.
What he is describing is truly the: art of happiness.
Let me shine some light on that.
When Socrates says ‘developing the capacity’, what do you think he is describing?
He’s simply pointing to that part of your mind that is responsible for your desires. And to develop that part means to observe it.
Watch it carefully.
Study it.
Analyse it.
And finally ask yourself—is that desire even mine?
And 99% of the time, it’s not. It always comes from the outside.
When you come to this realisation, that’s when the light of knowledge removes the darkness inside you. It illuminates every cell inside your body.
It reveals the truth.
The truth that what you’re chasing is temporary.
The truth that it’s the nature of the mind to chase.
The truth that even if you get everything you desire, you’ll still feel empty.
And that state of emptiness that you dread so much is the only thing that can give you eternal happiness.
Because every action is a way to fulfil a desire. Every desire, at its root, is a desire for happiness. And a desire for happiness is, at its core, an escape from this emptiness.
So chasing $$$, relationships, big houses, cars, and planes is nothing but a way to fill that void of emptiness.
A WAY TO NOT FEEL THAT EMPTINESS.
But if you embrace this emptiness.
Make it your friend.
Teach yourself to face it.
You will need nothing in this world to make you happy. Because you have learned to live in emptiness.
Whether you’re living in a one bedroom apartment, eat once a day, have no car, no gf/bf, nothing.
Or
You’re living in a 7 bedroom apartment, can eat anything you desire, have a great family, drive a Lambo and fly in private planes.
It will make absolutely no difference in your mental state. External circumstances will have no control over how you feel inside.
Because now you have developed the capacity to enjoy less.
And Socrates, as I said before, was a wise man, and he left the most important bit for the end of the quote.
He very cleverly put the word ‘LESS’ at the end. And only the real seekers can find the true meaning of what he meant by less.
And when you look under the layers, you’ll find, by less he simply means:
EMPTINESS.