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Maybe, Happiness Is Exactly What You Have Right Now
And maybe it’s not just about “being grateful”
I’m writing this at my childhood home in Kolkata, where I’ve come to spend the festive season with my parents.
I’m in my old room. I’m dressed cosily. Work is done for the weekend and I’m free to write, relax, watch TV, eat out, anything I like. I’m physically at my peak, I’ve broken multiple negative feedback loops, and I have a roster of hobbies and passion projects to keep me engaged.
I still haven’t solved the big problems in my life. I’m still not an acclaimed writer or a millionaire solopreneur.
But in this moment, I have all I need.
You see, every stage of life has its own particular texture of happiness.
Regardless of who we are or where we’ve come from, there are things about our life today that we wouldn’t give up for the world. Except that we’re so caught up with striving for the next big thing, we’re blinkered to the fact that a former version of ourselves already strived for — and earned — what we take for granted today.
My relationship with my parents hasn’t always been easy. During most of my twenties, my depression was at its peak and my ADHD was screwing me up in ways I didn’t fully understand. And I blamed them…
