Happiness is…
Yet another wonderful quote from Mahatma Gandhi. We all have our moments of happiness (I hope!), but I’m really working on making that happiness more than just a moment every once in a while. I’d like to be happy all the time and I know many are. I know we all can be.
I’ve been hearing more and more how important it is to just be ourselves, 100% you. You’d think this would be easy, but we are taught otherwise. We’re told that there’s a perfect way to act, look, think, feel, everything! If anyone is a little bit different, they are made fun of and treated as though they were an outsider. Because of this, we become less of ourselves and conform to these “perfect” ideals or as close to them as we possibly can. We find ourselves striving to be that perfect version in every action and surrounding. So we act in a different way around family, friends, colleagues, strangers, etc.
If you’ve never felt that way, congratulations. You’ve probably never been to high school, are in denial, or have been lucky enough to steer clear of this image that society gives off (I don’t know if this is possible, but if it is… please fill me in!). We are all unique and should hold onto that uniqueness with all our might. Each person in this world is different and has something they are outstanding at (whether they know it or not) and it is when that talent joins with another talent and another and so on that this world thrives. That our lives thrive!
I remember being happiest when I was a child. Things may not have been perfect, but I didn’t care. No one had told me otherwise. I danced and sang and made people smile whereas today, if I busted out in carefree song or dance while walking down the street, I can only imagine how many odd looks I’d get or worse…
What I’m getting at here is, if you don’t already, please accept others as they are when they are being positive. If what they are doing is something that benefits rather than harms the world, let them be or even join in. And accept yourself, your true self, for who you are. I’m working on it and I hope you are, too.
I wanted to carry on the theme of my village so I’ve used this photo for today’s Fotoquote Friday. I see hot air balloons here all the time and every time I dream of going on a ride. It’s pretty high up (no pun intended) on my must do sometime in life list.
I hope you have a super happy and harmonious weekend! Try and do at least one thing that is 100% you and let me know what it is!
11 June 2011 / Misc. or Me
Tags: mahatma gandhi, photography, quote
Comments
11 June 2011 - 3:24 am
Thanks, Kayla! I think it may be a Swiss thing.. I see them all the time wherever I go here!
12 June 2011 - 1:19 pm
Love this quote…and I am still a work in progress as far as accepting myself 100%, but I’m almost there!
12 June 2011 - 10:39 pm
I simply love this post. I come across as a very self-assured, positive gal, and I am to a degree, but there are many times when I still struggle. When the Swiss conservatism and lack of friendliness just really gets to me. When I feel too fat, too smiley, too laud, too chatty and I don’t feel good enough.
Then there are other days when I say “f**k it” and just go along my merry way 🙂 I think not caring what others think can go a long way in helping us achieve happiness!
Thank you for the wonderful quote and the inspiring post!
13 June 2011 - 1:11 am
Love this post Eva. So agree with you, if a person is being positive and doing good things, let them be them! If only there were classes in high school (the absolute hardest place to be different!) to teach people this at a younger age. Maybe then people would spend less time resisting their true talents and more time embracing and nourishing them.
13 June 2011 - 5:37 pm
Hot air balloons all the time?! How magical! Seeing people singing at the top of their lungs to their iPods or little kids bopping down the street with superhero capes on make me so happy and totally envious of how uninhibited some people are. I need to get to that state of mind! Thanks for a great post, Eva 🙂
13 June 2011 - 8:06 pm
Susan – “Almost” is incredibly close, if you ask me! Some days I’m almost there, others not so much. It’s a work in progress. : )
Elisa – Love your honesty! I’m really glad you mentioned what you did about the culture difference because, for a while, I was thinking it was just me. It’s hard to get used to. Thank you right back for the wonderful comment!
Liz – You’re right about high school. I think maybe it’d even need to start in elementary school and continue on upwards. I can only imagine the laughs and ridicule a class like that would get in high school, unfortunately.
Gloria – I know! I just wish I was in the hot air balloons every time I see them and not on the ground looking up, ha! I love your description of a free world like that.. I hadn’t even gotten that far in my imagining it.
15 June 2011 - 6:14 pm
I love that quote, and everything you said. I think it’s really important to be happy within yourself. Although funny enough, for me anyway, that’s a really hard thing to do! Isn’t that funny how that works? But that’s why I love reading what you said, because it just reminds me to think differently.
11 June 2011 - 3:09 am
um, you see hot air balloons all the time? I am in awe of your town.
lovely quote/photo pairing, as usual. hope your weekend is splendorific!