Summary

The author's personal journey from unhappiness to finding happiness by addressing the root causes of their dissatisfaction and implementing practical solutions.

Abstract

The article "In Search of Happiness" narrates the author's quest to rediscover happiness after a period of personal turmoil and failed attempts to find joy through external means, such as remarriage. The author reaches a turning point by identifying the specific aspects of their life that contributed to their unhappiness, including laziness, lack of purpose, unfulfilling work, and personal health issues. Through introspection and a commitment to change, the author devises a list of ten personal challenges and outlines five key solutions to address them, such as rekindling their faith, improving family relationships, maintaining a regular sleep schedule, exercising, and pursuing knowledge through reading and writing. The article concludes with the author's success in regaining happiness and the belief that happiness is a personal journey that can be achieved through self-awareness and proactive life changes.

Opinions

The author initially believed that external circumstances, like remarriage, would restore their happiness.
By asking what was making them unhappy rather than why they were not happy, the author gained clarity on their personal dissatisfactions.
The author's list of unhappiness triggers includes laziness, lack of purpose, dissatisfaction with work, unpunctuality, health issues, mobile phone addiction, dwelling on past relationships, unpreparedness for a new marriage, inconsistency in reading and writing, and neglecting religious practices.
The solutions proposed by the author are deeply personal and rooted in their faith, family values, health, and self-improvement.
The author suggests that unhappiness can be a catalyst for personal growth and intelligence, quoting Ken Wilber.
Audrey Hepburn's quote emphasizes the author's opinion that enjoying life and being happy is paramount.
The author acknowledges that their path to happiness is not a one-size-fits-all solution but hopes it inspires others to find their own happiness.
The article ends with a note of gratitude to the reader, suggesting a sense of community and shared experience in the pursuit of happiness.

In Search of Happiness

Who on this earth doesn’t want to be happy?

I guess everyone does, yet the majority of us search for their happiness in many places and in many circumstances, yet we fail to attain it despite making all our efforts.

Why is that? Did you ever try to sit down on your own one day and sincerely answer this question to yourself?

I did. And it really fascinated to the extent that I decided to share it with you my dear reader hoping it might inspire you to find your own way to happiness.

I, like everyone else, was searching for my own happiness after losing it years ago. The last of these attempts to find it was getting married again after a three-year divorce.

I thought getting married again would solve all my problems and soon regain back my happiness, but I was wrong.

The Search Begins

After failing to get my happiness from outside sources, I finally decided to take the search for happiness into my own hands by trying to figure out first why I was not happy.

Instead of asking myself why I was not happy, I substituted this question with another one that made all the difference. I asked myself what was making me unhappy in the first place? The answer to this question really changed everything.

From that moment I sat down to write all the things that were making me unhappy in a small notebook and then find solutions to it.

Here is what I believed was making me unhappy:

1- I was not happy about being lazy, because it’s was the main source of many disappointments that were contributing a lot to my unhappiness.

2- I was not happy about sleeping all day and staying up late at night with no meaningful purpose.

3- I was not happy about my work because I was not motivated.

4- I was not happy about the lack of punctuality in almost every occasion and meeting I attended.

5- I was not happy about gaining extra weight that made me unhealthy and unfit to practice my favorite hobby, football.

6- I was not happy about my extreme addiction to my mobile phone and the fact I was wasting a lot of my valuable time.

7- I was not happy about remembering my past relationship with my ex-wife every single day.

8- I was not happy with my new marriage either because I realized that I was not mentally ready for it yet.

9- I was not happy about the inconsistency of my reading and writing that did little for me according to my plan

10- I was not happy about missing prayer congregations on a daily bases for no valid reason despite being a man of faith.

“Unhappiness and dissatisfaction with life are not signs of mental illness, but of growing intelligence.”

-Ken Wilber

Finding the solution

After writing all these reasons that were making me unhappy it became very clear to me that in order to find my happiness, I realized making a change was inevitable.

I came out with five solid solutions that I believed would certainly make me happy again if I implement them correctly.

1- Being a man of faith, I understood it was time to repair my relationship with my Creator, Allah (God) by praying regularly on time and reciting the Holy Quran daily.

2- To have a good relationship with my family and spend quality time with my son.

3- I also needed to adjust my sleep time at night and not to sleep during day time no matter what.

4- Doing exercise daily also made the list because it’s the only way to main a healthy body and mind.

5- Finally, reading books to gain more knowledge, and then writing articles to inspire others on a daily bases was the last one.

After implementing all these solutions above, I can assure you today that I am no longer unhappy, in fact, I can honestly admit that I have finally found my lost happiness again.

“The most important thing is to enjoy your life — to be happy. It’s all that matters.”

-Audrey Hepburn

In Conclusion

This is not a blueprint for happiness, neither it can guarantee you will get the same results.

But hopefully, it could inspire you to believe that happiness can be found if it is lost at some stage in your life.

I sincerely hope you find your own happiness that you are searching for.

“Happiness is a direction, not a place.” — Sydney J. Harris

Thank you for your precious time.