Why are we so unhappy with our lives?

If God appears and gives a boon, I bet 95% of people would ask for happiness; Assuming that the remaining 5% are already happy.

                                 

Everything we do in our lives is for happiness. Isn't it? Some people find happiness in earning money, some in helping others, some in fame, some in taking care of family, some in hurting others and some in serving their country. The paths we choose may be different, but ultimately we want to be happy. But, how many of us are really happy with our lives?

After I finished college, I was so excited that I could go to work and earn money. (At that point of time I was sure money would make me happy.) I got a job and was really excited to take my first salary. I bought everything I always wanted to buy, branded clothes, a smart phone and went on a date with my own money. Oh my god! I was so happy. Very soon I was no longer happy with what I have and wanted more, more money, more clothes, more dates and what not. The more I have the more I want. This cycle never ended. I was happy when I got what I wanted, but for a limited time.

Then, I started practicing all the "good things" which are said to make you happy like meditation, exercising, helping others, spending time with family, smiling often, showing gratitude, finding a hobby and the rest of it. To be honest, I was happy this time. I felt like I figured life. But, I am happy only when I am doing things that make me happy. All the negative emotions like fear, jealousy, loneliness, etc are still within me. How do I deal with them when I happen to experience them? If I go back to the routine of doing things that make me happy, I am simply trying to escape from these emotions but not really overcoming them? Does this make sense to you?

How long can you escape from those which we call negative emotions when they are within you? Don't they come back again? Will you ever be really happy if you do things just to escape from the reality?

I realized that I should first understand what it is that I am escaping from. Is it fear? Is it anger? Is it loneliness? Is it jealousy? Then, understand why. When you understand why, you will know how to deal with it. When you know you are angry, when you understand why you are getting angry, you will definitely know what to do to not get angry. (If you know what to do and if you are still not doing anything about it, you can continue to escape and do things that give you temporary happiness.) This applies to every little thing that is stopping you from living your life fully.

When you have addressed all your negative emotions, you are just left with positivity and you don't have to do anything to be happy. You become the source of happiness.