Seek Meaning
Don't pursue happiness, pursue meaning.I sometimes feel slightly double-faced when I say and think certain things, then work on seemingly the opposite.Yes, I do believe seeking happiness makes no sense.Yes, I'm working on a project called "happy bugs", to celebrate the happy things in life.How do those two fit?Sculpting, connecting dots and sharing makes sense to me. It is my own, personal meaning.Art makes it possible for me to speak of things that matter to me, like the link between food and environment (the daily mini veggie project), the symbiosis between flora and fauna or the link between happiness and experiences. (happy bugs!) I'm trying to share my opinions and thoughts, but it a happy, quirky, up-beat way. And sculpting (creating) is also a more visceral need I have, the easiest way I've found to communicate and deal with the chaos of emotions that is going on inside of me.Happiness is just an emotion, it is not a constant state. You can't reach happiness and be like "woot! now that's done, can check it out of my to-do list", nope.You can be utterly happy one day and overly sad the next. No matter how great or stable your life situation is.Emotions can be overwhelming and sometimes tamed, but they fluctuate. Always.Self-indulgence leaves you unsatisfied.So you have money, have all you can wish for, live on an eternal vacation and all is peachy. But does this leaves you truly satisfied?There's a lot of wrong things in our world, I'm sure all of us have some specific themes that matter to us. For some it will be the environment, others poverty, other animal rights, some feminism, some will fight racism.There are so many different causes that matter that trying to make a list would be silly. A lot of things are not working and there are all worth your time and energy.But also small wrongs are there, a too heavy bag for an old lady, a sad friend, a broken kid's bike...Helping others is meaningfulAnd it is vague enough to fit many situations. Helping others is possible through teaching, loving, caring, talking about a particular issue, helping financially out or just listening and being there for someone else.Most humans are meant to share their lives with other humans, as the human connection is so inherently biological to us, that it is vital to our own sanity.Just keep it simple, focus on what little things might make a change, rather than thinking too big, feeling overwhelmed and paralyzed. Not everyone can be a leader or leave such an imprint that it will make history, but all of us can help out the neighbor or simply be kind to others.Be the change you'd like to seeThis post isn't about giving answers, but about raising questions. What can you do to be better? (and hence feel better) What matters to you? How can your life leave a positive impact? How can you bring back hope?I'm still seeking what works best for me in my own situation. And boy, I'm struggling! But it's well worth the struggle, because at the end of the day, seeking answers, finding connections and fighting for causes will leave you stronger and happier than eternal vacation and endless money.xxStéphanie