Force yourself to happiness!
There is a saying in German, "Manchmal müssen Menschen zu ihrem Glück gezwungen werden," which roughly translates to "Sometimes people need to be forced to be happy." This means that from an inward perspective, we mostly don't do the things that benefit us in the long run. Instead, we focus on immediate pleasures and things that make us "happy" in the moment. But if we think about it, are we truly happy that we played video games yesterday or engaged in other fleeting activities? Was it worth it to spend our time that way?
Most of the time, the answer is no. We would be more grateful if we put forth a 110% effort in our workouts, gathered the courage to speak to someone we admire, or abstained from distractions like social media, Netflix, and video games for a day. However, we cannot rely on others to take responsibility for our lives. We have to be the ones steering the boat, taking actions that will bring us happiness in the future. The ultimate goal is to find habits and actions that not only bring future happiness but also bring joy and fulfillment in the present.
If you find yourself asking, "But I don't know what I want in the future," then take the time to sit and reflect on it. Dream about your ideal relationship, and think about the steps necessary to achieve that goal. Contemplate the person you need to become to attract the perfect partner.
In today's era, we often neglect critical thinking, but I assure you that it can change your life. An actionable piece of advice to make this practice easier is to talk to a friend about your future aspirations. By sharing ideas with each other, you can both come up with helpful suggestions. Alternatively, you can seek inspiration from films like James Bond, Gladiator, or Fight Club.
Jordan Peterson, in his book "12 Rules for Life: An Antidote to Chaos," provides two rules that align with this principle:
Rule 2: Treat yourself like someone you are responsible for helping.
Rule 7: Pursue what is meaningful, not what is expedient.
Most of the time, we don't want what is objectively best for ourselves; we simply go for what feels good in the present. However, these choices often result in negative consequences in the future, as they fail to prepare us for the challenges life throws at us.
Remember, life favors the prepared.
