Happiness was a destination, a place I would someday arrive.
With this in mind, I quickly realized that in order to get there, I needed to create a path. Yes, I needed the infrastructure—or super-highway—that would allow me to quickly arrive at its sparkly, sun-drenched shores.
And that’s exactly what I began to do.
I started investing every dollar I could get my hands on to extend the roads. I wasn’t quite there yet, but that’s just because I needed to keep building. Each mile I built represented moving closer to the goal, so I put my head down and pushed forward.
At times it was tough. Really tough.
I was growing weary, but I was comforted knowing that once completed I wouldn’t have to leave. And even if I did, I would be able to quickly travel the roads I had built back to nirvana.
Keep investing. Keep building.
You’ll get there eventually.
I’ve Canceled the Project
After years of building, I’ve decided to call off the project.
You see, as I was building, I was also reading up on new and different ways to reach those sun-drenched beaches. And it turns out that there are much more efficient paths to happiness that don’t involve any purchases at all.
It’s so cliche that I hesitate to type it, but in writing down the things that already make me happy, I realized they just so happen to be free.
Having spent every dollar I could get my hands on building my super-highway, this is frustrating to look back upon. There’s been so much wasted time and money spent on the project.
And so much pain as well. Not only me, but those around me as well.
I wish I could go back in time and use the knowledge I now have. But then I realize that maybe I have this knowledge because of the path I took.
And when I look forward, there’s a freedom that makes it all worthwhile.
So today, I won’t be investing in my highway. And for the first time in a long time, I can say that I’ve never been happier.