Happy or Better: In Defence of “Better”

I had just read a tweet that I will summarize into – do not just do what makes you happy; do what makes you better

There is so much wisdom packed in the above that I would like to expound a bit upon.

Firstly, the tweet was an advice to those who were participating in the silhouette challenge with the excuse that they are doing it because it makes them happy. While I am not here to pass comment or judgement on that, I find the advice given to be one that cuts across life in general.

In the self-development world, I have interacted with a lot of people that were in search of what makes them happy. Good adventure I must say but it can be very short sighted.

For instance, you can be happy spending lots of money on looking good, clean shirts, beautiful shoes and all of those nice things only to find out in some years time that you never got better as a person enough to earn you money to maintain your lifestyle

The excuse behind immediate gratification most of the time is the need to make ones’self happy. But for delayed gratification, you are postponing your happiness a little further so you can get better at the moment to sustain your happiness in the nearest future.

People naturally tend to procrastinate better for happiness. The paradox therefore lies in the fact that happiness is best found in better and not in itself. However, better is not immediate.

The goal is to become a better person and become better as a person so much that you enjoy the gains of going through the process. There is no road to better that is filled with immediate happiness. You have to put in the work and the hours.

You have to encounter challenges that you are expected to surmount and there is no happiness in trying to surmount such challenges. It is a sacrifice you have got to make because once made, you will reap the fruit thereof.

Until then, chase better before happiness.