The Vibe is Right

Happiness is overrated— aim for alignment instead

Photo by JOSHUA COLEMAN on Unsplash

This year is already shaking up my brain and soul in a slightly less chaotic but equally as cool way as last year. 2020 was about breaking down the past, tearing us away from the familiar, and preparing us to do things differently. 2021 feels like walking into the space that was created, ready to build on the fresh foundations and learn to live more fully.

In fact, I’ve never experienced such a tangible sense of possibility before. It’s like a new dimension is opening up and things that seemed set in stone; offices, the 9–5, mindless consumerism — those concepts just don’t exist anymore. It was how we lived in the Western world for so long and yet reflecting on it now, a lot of it didn’t check out.

Ditch The Pursuit of Happiness

As part of the human software upgrade that comes with massive change, I am officially ditching The Pursuit Of Happiness. Why? Because happiness is fleeting, and to be frank, after the emotional growth that came from eight months of introspection in lockdown, it now feels kind of…vanilla.

There is so much more to this Earth experiment than feeling happy. Feeling whatever’s actually happening in the moment, good or bad, is far more exciting. Happening versus happy.

We still live in a goal setting society though, so I need a new metric. And I know the feeling I’m chasing. It’s a combination of; being exactly where you’re meant to be. Working towards a bigger purpose. Trusting yourself. Having an open heart and mind. Being connected not attached; engaged and energised; present not distracted. Sometimes scared. Always growing.

So what’s the secret to reaching this new level? I think it’s actually a lot more simple than the ‘good vibes only’ ideal we were sold. It’s about aiming for alignment instead.

Aim for Alignment

To me, this is the difference between the search for happiness versus alignment;

The happiness myth focused on the destination in mind. It’s essentially like trying to force your way to calmer seas even when there’s a hurricane.