Young, healthy, well educated, trendy, unhappy.

A half century ago, psychologist Warner Wilson stated that a happy person is “young, healthy, well educated, well paid, extroverted, optimistic, worry free, religious, married, with high self-esteem, high job morale, modest aspirations, of either sex and of a wide range of intelligence”.

Today happiness is something we can all aspire. Every Monday, every month or with New Year, we make resolutions and are constant striving for a better self, happier life, fitter body, better look, less meat, less alcohol, more money, more holidays, etc.

Aspiration or rather something we ‘can’ buy?

Nowadays there are more and more personal trainers willing to help you become the better version of yourself.

Everyone who knows more about weightlifting is considering himself a personal trainer and is selling his services to us, for that picture perfect body. 

Or the so called life-coach, that teaches you how to live a better life.

Thousands of influencers who recommend products that you definitely should get to look better, or influence you with the perfect life accompanied by designer bags and fancy restaurants so that you definitely start to question your own life.

We buy things to get that happy feeling. The fashion industry becomes more ridiculous with every new season, but we are following it.

After all, who doesn’t want to be a little bit happier, healthier or more successful while wearing the scrunchie that is back there from the 90’s?

We strive to improve ourselves, by buying more things we hope to get that picture perfect life. Eat better, work out harder, waking up earlier, trying out meditation and positive affirmations.. we often discover that all these things don’t make us substantially happier. The same often goes for reaching the goals that society values – such as marriage, an interesting job or physical fitness. Striving for happiness could be making you unhappy.

Using Miuccia’s Prada words “currently, when there is an abundance of everything - too much fashion, too much clothes, too much everything - the person should be more important than the clothes”. In my opinion it’s not only in fashion, we can apply it on everything. We are overloaded with instructions on how to lead life, so that we actually forget who we are and what actually makes us happy.

So, is happiness just a myth? 

No, happiness is finding a recipe that works for everyone. Not just following the hype, the trend and the expectations of the society.

Perhaps the key to happiness is truly getting to know yourself and having the guts to do what makes your life worth living at a certain point – regardless of what others say or sell.

“To be yourself in a world that is constantly trying to make you something else is the greatest accomplishment.”