people
DO WE DESERVE Story by Brooks Bass | Illustration by Katherine Lugo
People are prone to messing up. But why do so many people dwell on their mistakes? Why is it that so many people ruminate in their failures and let it define so much of their self-worth? It seems like anxiety plagues a lot of people today, and it’s easy to see why. We have more access to information now than ever before. But having all of that information comes at a cost. You can literally get on the internet right now and find something that will upset you within a matter of seconds. This ease of access to information has caused so many people to live in a perpetual state of sadness. According to the most recent information from the National Institute of Mental Health, over 62 million U.S. adults suffer from anxiety and over 23 million suffer from depression. It’s not just the events of this world that make us upset. According to statistica.com, over 2.65 billion people in the world scroll through social media, and a lot of them compare themselves to others. This isn’t something limited by age. You might be in your mid-40s looking at pictures of your old friend’s perfect family while you haven’t started one of your own. Or you might be on the cusp of graduating college, seeing all of your classmates get amazing job offers to go work for huge companies while you still haven’t heard back from any of the places you filled out an application for. Social media has caused us to compare the mundane events of our lives to everyone else’s highlight reel. The point I am trying to make is this: your happiness depends on absolutely no one but yourself. What kind of a life are you living if your primary emotion is fear, sadness or jealousy? A huge part of finding happiness is accepting who you are. There is only one you. Even if you have an identical twin and your own parents have trouble telling you apart from your sibling, you are still a unique individual. Just like there will never be another Leonardo DaVinci who will paint the Mona Lisa, there will never be another you. But even if you don’t paint the most iconic painting in history, you still have value. Not every person is going to break records and accomplish legendary feats in the eyes of millions, but every person can be successful in their own right. Doing the best you can at everything you do is something that can bring you the happiness and peace you long for. At the end of the day, being able to say you put it all on the line is something to be proud of.
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TO BE
happy?
Kindness is also something that can bring you happiness. Being nice to someone is something that anyone can do, although it seems so rare today. We live in a world full of hatred. It seems like belittling others and “throwing shade” is far too prevalent. Being kind to someone takes little effort. It can become a part of your routine if you are deliberate about it. Make it a point to be nice to someone. That stirring in your heart after someone genuinely appreciates what you’ve done for them is what is going to bring you happiness. Even if the person you are being kind to doesn’t acknowledge what you’ve done for them, at least you can be confident in the fact that you were doing the right thing. It seems easier sometimes to be kinder to a complete stranger than it is to be kind to someone we have some sort of relationship with. Why is that? I think that, when we form a close bond with someone and become comfortable around them, we slowly become less considerate of their emotions. But when we have a disagreement or falling out with this person, we become upset with ourselves because we feel like we weren’t good to them in the relationship. To be happy in a relationship on any level, you have to consider the other person’s emotions. So, do we deserve to be happy? As shitty as most people are, probably not. We all inherently suck, because we’re all human. And since we’re all human, I think the question we should ask ourselves is, “What will make me happy?” You have to really evaluate what you enjoy in your life and what you don’t. There’s a good chance that, if you’re reading this and you feel like you’re a happy person, you have something in your life that you love and that you are deeply passionate about. And if you haven’t found something you’re passionate about yet, that’s OK. I don’t think happiness is something we all get automatically. I think it’s something you have to search for. It’s important to remember, though, that happiness isn’t a material thing. It’s a feeling. While we’ve all heard it before, it still rings true; no amount of money in the world is going to ever truly fill your desire for happiness. Our desire to be happy is fulfilled by our relationships with ourselves and with one another. Like I said earlier, you have to accept who you are. Wanting to be a better version of yourself is a good thing, but wanting to change so you can be like someone else is not. True happiness comes from being content with the unique person you are. The happiness you get from accepting who you are needs to be positively reinforced by the relationships you have. Surround yourself with people who will love you and want what’s best for you, and that is how you will find the happiness you deserve.
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