There’s something taking place right now as I write this that was unheard of not too long ago.

Not only that but this is something that’s on the rise…

And is safe and beneficial on one hand but very unsafe and dangerous on the other.

What I’m referring to is the happiness movement. And most specifically the idea of trying to live a happy life.

Also included here is the idea that you can live a life of “sustainable happiness” or that you can find happiness in everything you do or that happiness is your destiny. The list goes on and on.

Perhaps you’ve also heard the following quotes, some of which are said by famous people…

“Happiness is the spiritual experience of living every minute with love, grace, gratitude.”

“I believe we are born to be happy all the time and be supported by the Universe in that happiness.”

“Happiness is freedom and freedom is the easy going flow of being alive.”

…and then there is the following:

“I believe that the very purpose of life is to be happy.”

I’m sure these sound familiar to you and you’re aware of them.

Here’s something I want you to think about…

How many times have you tried to be happier and live a “happy life” but still found yourself having feelings of sadness and depression come up?

And have you also noticed that sometimes these feelings come up more than you want…and you have no idea why?

Now here’s something very interesting and rather shocking…

As many of you know the pharmaceutical industry, especially the anti depressant industry is a multi billion dollar a year industry. There are millions upon millions of people taking anti depressant medication.

While this continues to rise are you aware and have you noticed that the “happiness” movement is also on the rise as well?

So what it all comes down to is…

“Is trying to live a happy life making you more depressed?”

…And most importantly what can you do to live a healthy, inspired, and fulfilled life?

1. The happiness paradox- It is very wise to be aware of what you mean by happiness. Many times people say they want to be happy and live a “happy life” but what does that mean? Does it mean trying to be happy 100% of the time? Does it mean trying to be more happy than sad? Or does it mean having a healthy balance of both happiness and sadness?

Most people are being led to believe that they can be more happy than sad. The idea here being to get rid of the sadness and only be happy.

In fact this is the very thing being marketed to people worldwide.

Have you noticed that whenever you see someone speaking about happiness or promoting a program or product about happiness that it’s always backed up using some authority type label such as “Dr.” or someone being a Phd in “happiness psychology?”

Perhaps you’ve also seen the promotion of happiness being linked to what “scientists” say or what the research has found. I’m sure you’ve also seen things like, “Harvard University says…” or “Doctors at Stanford University found…”

I’m not saying to ignore the “science” or research.

What I am saying is to also be aware that many times someone can pay to have research done and designed to get the result one wants in order to persuade others.

The result of this is what I’m calling the “happiness paradox.”

Because on one hand it is important to be happy but on the other it’s vital to be aware if you’re going to extremes when it comes to being happy.

In fact nowadays you’ll hear many people say that they got the “happiness bug” and that it’s contagious. This is nothing more than an addiction.

And with any addiction there’s side effects…

Which in this case is the very thing people are trying to avoid…depression.

Most people are trying to run away from sadness and in the process are trying to live the other extreme, a happy life. Anything you run away from you run into.

Now of course I’m not telling you to go out and be sad and depressed because even if you tried to do that 100% of the time you couldn’t…

Just like you couldn’t go out and be happy 100% of the time. That’s not possible either. Don’t take my word for it.

Look through your own life and you’ll see for yourself that you’ve had both happy and sad/depressed moments. Since this is the case with everyone else as well, who in the world came up with the idea that you’re going to be happy all the time. This is neither possible nor a healthy thing to do…

…But what I am telling you is, trying to be happy 100% of the time while trying to live a happy life is a fantasy and this can and does result in being in a depressed state.

Because the more someone is trying to be happy… the more they are repressing their depression. This is how the human mind works.

2. Degrees of variation- Of course your happiness level occurs in varying degrees. These range from low levels of happiness all the way up to the extreme. This is what you’re consciously aware of.

But also know that what you’re not aware of is that you maintain happiness and sadness at the same time. They are synchronous.

Here’s an example of what I mean…

Let’s say you have a moment of happiness because your child accomplished something amazing. Now this doesn’t mean that you’re depressed. This is a moment of happiness for you because of a special event in your life. Also realize that in this same moment you have a moment of sadness too.

Taking this further, let’s say that you’re “happy” because your child graduated high school. At the same time that you’re “happy” about this you also have a hidden sadness.

It could be that you feel that now your child is grown up and may spend less time with you. It could be that now your child may want to move out and be on their own. it can be anything as it relates to your situation.

Yes you’ll have moments of what appears to be more happy than sad on the outside, but what’s really going on is that both occur at the same time.

The important point to get here is that there is no such thing as always being happy and living a happy life. And that this occurs in varying degrees.

Therefore it is wise to know this so you don’t get too “up” when things go your way or too “down” when they don’t.

3. Half-filment vs. Fulfillment- There are two ways different ways you can live your life. You can have a half filled life or you can live a fulfilled life. Obviously there’s a big difference between the two.

Trying to live a half filled life is one sided. This is where you’ll seek more happiness than sadness. Not only is this a disempowered way to live but it’s also unhealthy as well.

When you live a fulfilled life, you’ll embrace both happiness and sadness equally. Not only is this is an empowered way of living but it’s also very healthy. And along with that is the fact that you’ll actually reduce the very thing millions of people are faced with everyday…depression.

When you embrace both happiness and sadness you encounter during your life you’re actually training yourself to reduce the emotional roller coaster most people experience.

What this does for you is that it allows you to be your authentic self.

It also helps you to love yourself.

Remember…

You never have to get rid of half of yourself to love yourself.

This is when you realize how magnificent and amazing of a person you are.

Also remember…

You have a purpose and a mission on this planet. You have something of tremendous value to contribute to the world through your uniqueness.

And your ability to manifest the type of life you want to live has everything to do with your ability to embrace the both sides of life…to include the happiness and sadness.

Here’s one last pearl of wisdom I want you to always remember…

“Whether I feel happy or sad, I am grateful for I know that both are actually refining me and helping me fulfill my mission on Earth.”