Calm Over Happy

To be calm is better than being happy. It sounds strange, but it holds more truth than we may want to give credit. Life will always have its ups and down, there’s no way around the difficulties in life. If we learn how to remain calm during the moments of stress, we’re allowing ourselves to accept, grow, and develop during the hardest times.

Being calm is not easy. In the United States alone, over 20% of the population suffers from some kind of mental disorder. Those statistics are only based upon the people who have actually sought help. Countless many others suffer in silence for fear of being labeled an outcast. There is a way to be calm in the day and age, but it takes time and practice to understand.

The ego is usually the most difficult part of us that causes distress. We often want more - we want recognition, and we want others to see all the hard work we put into this life. However, whom are we competing with? Our own expectations of ourselves doom us and bring us further frustration. In a world where no one is perfect, we often seek perfection in ourselves.

Coming to peace with our lives’ direction is the initial start. If we hate our jobs, hate our lives, and feel contempt towards the world, then it’s obvious that something needs to change. However, the problem is not always obvious when the process of frustration has been long and gradual. We often need to make the decision to make peace with ourselves and what we do, or change our direction.

We can only be calm when we feel like we are serving a purpose. Being a cashier in a mart can only bring a certain amount of satisfaction. Sure, there may be bills to pay and kids to feed, but one’s personal wellbeing and passion never take the backburner as a permanent lifestyle. Life may bring its moments in which we need to grind down and do something that we don’t like. However, there may be a day in which there is an opportunity for change, although it may bring risk. You may just need to take that risk

Risk is not irresponsibility if everyone is taken care of. Food and shelter are the basic requirements. There is more to be gained by being a failure at something you love than being a success at something you hate. Life is temporary – both the rich and the poor pass on just the same.

When we find ourselves doing what we love – we then find peace. Money doesn’t matter. It’s simply something a concept that’s been made up. Money may bring us some new things, but it can never satisfy what’s within. What’s within decides how much you enjoy what’s on the outside. If what’s within is at peace, what’s outside doesn’t matter.

For further related reading, please check out: 10 Days Later.