Why Do We Feel Unhappy?

Are you currently feeling a sense of unhappiness? If so, what’s the reason?

Is it due to feeling isolated from friends and family?

Is it because every time you turn on the news, it feels like you’re diving into a sea of negativity?

Are work pressures getting to you? Or perhaps relationship struggles?

You might also be grappling with the shadows of a difficult childhood, ongoing health issues, or even a recent breakup. Maybe your financial situation has deteriorated, leaving you feeling insecure about the future.

These feelings are all valid and not uncommon.

There are also less typical yet completely reasonable sources of discontent, such as:

• Your favorite series getting canceled.
• Discovering that your beloved cereal has harmful levels of ingredients.
• The contrasting political signs in your neighbors' yards.
• Travel delays or cancellations, especially when it means spending more time with relatives you’d rather avoid.

I could endlessly list reasons for unhappiness, and so could you. But does any of this really matter?

Meet Lila

Let me introduce you to Lila.

She is a 14-pound Italian Greyhound and arguably the happiest creature on Earth. She radiates pure joy and has brought warmth and vibrancy into our lives every single day since she joined us.

If you were to visit, she would eagerly leap onto your lap, showering you with affectionate doggy kisses and an infectious spirit of happiness.

Lila serves as a potent reminder of the potential we all possess to choose happiness. Rescued from a puppy mill operating out of a garage, Lila spent her first eighteen months confined without ever feeling grass under her paws.

It’s heartbreaking to think about.

She could easily have harbored resentment and a negative view of humanity, and one might understand if she preferred to hide under a blanket, wary of the world.

Yet, Lila is a beacon of joy. She seeks out new friends—be they humans, dogs, or even squirrels—with unbounded enthusiasm.

Most of her interactions are filled with exclamation marks!!!

Now, I can’t quite pinpoint why Lila chose joy over despair. Perhaps it’s inherent to her nature, or maybe it was a conscious decision. Despite my curiosity, she remains tight-lipped about her thoughts.

What I suspect is that upon discovering a world beyond her cramped confines, she embraced the beauty and love that life has to offer.

You might think the lesson here is, “At least I’m not as unfortunate as Lila.” But that’s a misconception.

Whatever is causing your unhappiness? It’s legitimate. The scale of your struggles doesn’t matter; they are valid. You should never downplay or dismiss your feelings.

Instead, what Lila would like to share is this:

There is always a silver lining. There are people who care about you. There are countless moments that can bring you joy.

A much larger, kinder, and more loving world exists for us all.

That’s the wisdom Lila has about happiness.

And now, you are privy to it too.