I Breath, Therefore I Struggle. In Struggle Lies Happiness.

Buckle up and smile for this bumpy ride, called life.

We all struggle

Its a fact. No one can go through life without struggles or dodge every bad thing that comes in our way. Some are of our own device, others we can't control.

I am born with eczema and allergy. I can’t do everything non-allergic and healthy skinned can:

• I can’t eat all the stuff I want.
• I can’t have pets (except Alvin, my allergic friendly dog).
• I can’t follow my daughter to indoor riding.
• I can’t not scratch when it itches.

I also struggle to keep my weight down, and I could say that's because:

• I have a slow metabolism.
• I can’t afford to eat healthily.
• I don’t have time to exercise.

For me, none of the above is true. I just like chocolate more than exercise.

Chubby allergic eczema guy, that's me. And I wouldn't have it any other way. If someone came and offered meg a mulligan in life, I would say thanks, but no thanks. I'm fine.

My life — My roller coaster, have high highs and low lows.

If I didn´t have those lows I would never experience the highs I love so much.

My bad shines a light on the good. Why don’t let the good shine back at the bad?

We all want the same thing.

Happiness.

This is the global want.

There is nobody that wants to be miserable, sad, or angry. Everyone wants to be happy. It's so simple, yet so impossibly hard.

We are looking for happiness out there. Somewhere. Trying to find it in money, experiences, drugs, alcohol, social media, and power.

We get fleeting moments of joy. Moments we want to replicate, find, and never let go. We intensify the hunt. A constant chase after that tingling feeling.

If we look for something in the wrong place, only one thing is guaranteed.

We will never find it.

Happiness isn’t something “out there”. Its a part of us, all the time. But we have forgotten to look inwards. Somewhere down the road, we stopped tapping into that internal well of happiness.

Why? I don’t know. But I blame the hamster wheel of life.

We are hardwired to another well. The well of misery (imagine scary music).

Whenever we’re sad or feeling down, we throw our self into this bottomless pit. It’s human. Isn’t it?

It’s easy. Comfortable.

It's not healthy.

Everyday Joy

I’m a connoisseur of everyday joy. I love weekdays and subtle things in life.

For me, its the small things that matter.

The small pockets of pure joy that taps into happiness without much investment.

It can be everything from feeling the sun warm your skin, lemonade after a long run, or seeing a child sitting on a bench laughing.

It can be binging that Netflix show or sitting down after work with the family to eat dinner.

Oh, and let’s not forget that one day each year I am home alone. When I can sit on the couch in my boxer with cheese-doodle-dust all over my stomach. Holding on to the PS4 controller for dear life.

When you start to think about all the little pockets of joy there is, its easier to shine a light on the bad.

We don’t have to look for happiness. It’s there all the time.

Never give up

There is always a new dawn.

If you have struggles or if you have experienced something bad; let it be a part of you, but don’t let it define you.

Be the captain of your own demise.

Life is all we have. So let’s make this a good one.

Let’s enjoy the ride together!

Ses! (Norwegian slang for see you later)