If you’ve gone to see the latest movie in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, you’ll know that happiness is the theme throughout Dr. Strange in the Multiverse of Madness. Small spoiler ahead: aside from several characters asking, “Are you happy, Stephen?” happiness is also the primary motivator for Wanda Maximoff, or Scarlett Witch, as the villain of the movie.
Happiness is the theme that I wanted to discuss in today’s blog post, so let’s get right into it.
Let’s Look Inward
Something that I’ve experienced is that it can be very easy to lose sight of what leads to happiness. Fairy tales seem to paint this picture that finding a partner is what leads to a happily ever after, while academia pushes for a very vague concept of success leading to happiness. Some people long for material riches, and others strive to be at the top of their career.
For me, I’ve found that none of these things alone could bring me to the happiness that I have now. It was hard for me to feel happy in a relationship when I felt no security, and the happiness I felt in my achievements existed for a fleeting moment before I went looking for the next accomplishment so I could feel that same high. The one thing that has led to me having a sustained sense of happiness in my life is developing the inner peace that has led to me knowing who I am and being comfortable in my own skin.
Gotta Love Myself
Maybe you find the message of Hailee Steinfield’s pop anthem corny and overplayed, but there’s a reason that this messaging is repeated so often. Taking the moment to sit down and ask yourself, “Are you happy?” and truly assess how you feel can go a long way. It took Stephen Strange being knocked into talking to a different multiverse version of himself before he realized that he had lied the first time he was asked if he was happy.
Like me, you might realize that you changed who you were so someone would like you more. Or that you were chasing a goal, because you would thrive on the praise that someone else gave you along the way, but if you took a moment, you might realize that you loved the person who set the goal instead of the goal itself.
These realizations might lead to some confusion, but the sun is always shining behind the clouds, even when you can’t see it. I’m at this point in my life where I feel like I’m about to get everything that I have ever wanted for myself. Truly everything I wanted, before I started letting the outside world influence me and make me feel like I should want other things.
What Do I Want?
I know that I normally do a blog challenge for the month of May, but it’s been hard for me to stare at a computer screen since a mirror fell on my head. The plus side is that it has given me a lot of time to think about what I wanted to say in this post. And yet, I don’t think anything I say here really encompasses how at peace and happy that I feel.
After my last heartbreak, I wanted someone who would accept me for who I was, someone I wouldn’t have to pretend with, and someone who wouldn’t criticize me too harshly for things that I loved about myself, like my laugh. That probably comes from having a healthy amount of respect for yourself and for each other.
I want to do what I love, which I can say that I do most of the time. I’m happy to have gotten out of the wandering inside a rat race where I always felt lost.
There’s a peace that comes from being comfortable in the aspects of my life and being surrounded by a deep love with plenty of compassion. That’s it for me.
Are you happy? What is one thing that would bring you happiness? If you could give advice to someone who is struggling with their happiness right now, what would you tell them? These are all questions I would love to hear your thoughts on in the comments below.
As always, thank you so much for taking the time to read this blog post. If you enjoyed spending time with me today, let me know by liking this post, commenting below, and sharing with your friends. And if you really want to make me feel like I’m not talking out into a void, subscribe to this blog through WordPress or with your email so you can get updates every time I put out something like this post.
Until next time, love always,
Kristi My
Kristi My Dao 