Achieving Happiness in the Face of Misfortune

In the words of Dr. Robert Ford, played by Anthony Hopkins from the up and coming American thriller series, 'Westworld', we hear Ford give an accurate explanation for humanity: "Evolution forged the entirety of sentient life on this planet using only one tool, the mistake". No one is born perfect, we all come into this world with different sets of skills, some make use of those skills and some don't. Some of us were gifted with good health, others not. Some of us must navigate severe learning disabilities, and others not. At the end of the day, happiness is something that can be achieved by anyone as long as we embrace authenticity.

Life is a struggle; it is filled with extreme highs and incredible lows, but the sum total of these emotions defines the state of our happiness. As I've come to understand over the course of my lifetime, it is hard to accept who we are sometimes. It is hard to accept the level of our intelligence; it is hard to acknowledge that we may suffer from severely impairing learning disabilities, hard to accept the fact that we may struggle with depression or anxiety. Yet how are we supposed to find joy in life when everything seems to be going against us? We only get once chance at life, and yes some of us are more fortunate than others in this regard, but for those who aren't as fortunate? Embrace who you are. Everyone serves a purpose; find your purpose.

Joy and happiness comes from the small victories in life. As I've also come to understand, everything takes time. We didn't get to where we are in a split second, although for some that may be the case. For most of us, success and fulfillment comes with time and appreciation. It is difficult to speak for everyone as we all come from a different set of circumstances and we all experience life a different way. But for those who struggle to see the meaning in life and for those who are stuck in the throes of despair, we simply cannot abandon life as we know it. The first step comes with acknowledgment, because wishing you were someone else will take you nowhere. It will do nothing for you, and it will simply break down your already low sense of self-esteem.

The moment we are born on this earth, we are given the unique opportunity to make something of our lives. It is easy to give up, but with hard work and the mentality of acceptance, we can make big strides in life. We can become who we never thought we'd become. In the words of Thucydides, the great Athenian historian and general: "The secret to happiness is freedom... and the secret to freedom is courage".

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