There are undoubtedly times where we lack the option or the desire to seek out our own happiness. What’s odd about happiness is that it’s recursive. Once we find that special thing that gives us even a minute amount of joy, we’ll keep going back to it. Whether it’s the family pet that is always waiting for us at home or friends that are willing to talk through our troubles, the fact that they’re always there is the reason they work.

We need an outlet to return to when we need to be happy. The best part about them is that we don’t need to go out of our way to look for them. It could take a while to find something every day that makes us happy and those absolutely terrible days will show up eventually. So finding it is of the utmost importance. However, it’s important to note that it doesn’t last forever.

Life can throw off our plans (and our happiness) at a moment’s notice. Therefore, we shouldn’t get too attached to one outlet. If, by some unforeseen circumstance, it disappears, we won’t have that outlet anymore. That can be detrimental; losing a primary source of happiness means it’s absolutely necessary to find a new one. Being permanently attached to an outlet is not going to work, but finding more outlets for happiness requires the prioritization of happiness.

The logical complexity of happiness within our lives isn’t going anywhere. There will always be multiple moments where our happiness fluxuates, both good and bad. Our current situation continues to keep happiness out of the picture while we focus on other necessities. It doesn’t look like pushing happiness away can or should be an option. We don’t prioritize happiness enough, but when we need it, then there’s nowhere to look. We rely on our friends for our own happiness, but when they take a turn for the worse, we feel the repercussions as well. School doesn’t quite do enough to help us combat the problem either. The more we push our own happiness away, the more we are playing the odds, hoping. Hoping we won’t reach that traumatic moment. Hoping our friends and recurring outlets will always be there for us. Hoping, hoping, hoping. Instead of hoping that the inevitable incident never comes, we should feel the urge to promote our own happiness instead and cut off the urge to just put it off until later.