The Pursuit of Happiness is an Inherently Unhappy Pursuit

By focusing on attaining something, we are subconsciously focusing on how we currently lack that thing.

Photo by KAL VISUALS on Unsplash

By definition, the word “pursuit” is “the action of following or pursuing someone or something.”

We only follow or pursue what we do not already possess.

So when we pursue something like happiness, by definition we are assuming a mindset of lack.

Instead of pursuing happiness, reorganize your thoughts to recognize where happiness already exists.

The Importance of Your Attention

If you fixate your attention on the parts of your reality that you want more of — spending time and energy on what makes you feel good — then you will draw more of that feeling out.

Our reticular activating system reinforces what we focus on. People who focus on the positive do not live a more “fair” life than people who focus on the negative. The difference is that positive people choose to focus on what is working for them, while negative people choose to focus on what is working against them.

Where we focus our attention on is what will compound.