"Happiness is not best achieved by those who seek it directly" - Bertrand Russell
I came upon this quote today and it stuck with me for so long that I felt I had to write something about it, in order to get rid of it. The sentiment at its core is so simple to understand, and so maddeningly difficult when we think how to apply it.
The more effort you put into pursuing happiness in its own sake, the less satisfied and happy you will find yourself to be. It's like trying to firmly grasp water. But by widening your life, your interests, your mind; by instead pursuing those things that fulfil, excite and delight you, you will find yourself happy.
The difficult part is that it's like trying to learn how to fly by throwing yourself at the ground and missing. It makes perfect sense and is completely absurd all at once. I suppose that the answer lies in approaching life with dedication and purpose, whilst at the same time allowing life to lead you in flights of fancy and whimsy.
And this is what is so beautiful, to me, about that quote: the only way to make use of it is to take it in, allow it to sit with you and then leave it there.
