The urge to find happiness has been around as long as human kind. It is almost as if it has been woven into our existence from the start - so much so, that philosophers even goe so far as calling it one of the traits that make us human to begin with. And according to the greek philosopher Aristoteles we all have the right, to follow the path that leads us to our true happiness.
This sounds like something we can all agree with - even thousands of years later. When we go a little deeper than scratching the surface however, we see that there is a subtle but severe difference between our modern interpretation of "happiness" and Aristoteles:
What Aristoteles called the right to pursue happiness, we tend to call the right to be happy.
We go through this life demanding it to make us happy. Our job has to fulfill us. Our hobbies have to make us feel good, our bodies are supposed to fit beauty standards so we can feel beautiful and our partners are supposed to make us whole. In a world that has become quite superficial - our idea of happiness has too. Happiness is more than laughter over a drink on Friday night or the luxury of always feeling contempt and satisfied.
How different is it to think of happiness as something active. Something to pursue. According to Aristoteles happiness can never be achieved, it can only be worked towards for it can always only stay a goal in the distance. I know this sounds like its worth nothing more than a raised eyebrow, but bare with me here for a minute.
What Aristoteles means is that we should find our true passion, our one true north and work towards it mercilessly. Will that always make us happy? Of course not. Will it always be a walk in the park? Also no. But it will open us up to a happiness that goes much deeper than the skin deep idea of "being happy" all the time.
All my artist friends out there will understand what I mean when I say how hard it can be to pursue a career like this. It is exhausting, painful and excruciating to hear more "no" then you will ever hear "yes", to work so hard and feel like you're not getting anywhere with it. But we also all know that moment when we are doing what we love and for a moment we can feel it in our bones: we were born for this and we wouldn't have it any other way.
That feeling is Aristoteles definition of happiness.
But Aristoteles goes even further; These moments, these glimpses of a goal we will never stop walking towards, happen, when we do what we are doing solemnly for the sake of doing them. When we sing just to sing - not to become famous. When we write for the sake of writing - not for a finished novel at a shelf at "Barnes & Noble". When we paint because we simply can't exist without a paintbrush in hand - not for that exhibition.
Because living for our passion and seeing that that in itself is enough is what lets that fire burn inside of us, that is true, raw, deep happiness.
I understand that a career in the arts comes with a certain pressure. I am not saying we shouldn't have goals, vision boards, ideas, plans or even ambitions. Of course not. The validation from others in the form of success or even fame is something we all desire when we're being honest. It will also pay the bills. I understand that. But the truth is, that if pursuing our art doesn't give us those moments where we look right into the face of happiness itself - we can't expect that fame and that success to make us happy either.
Because at the end of the day we have to let go of the idea that we have the right to always have "a good time" and be "fulfilled" - we have to stop waiting for everyone else around us to make us happy and accept that it is, indeed, an inside job and that it starts when we allow our purpose to guide us through the rough patches for the sake of those small moments of pure bliss.
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