A couple weeks ago, I opened Instagram and the very first thing I saw was a reel comparing video footage from New Years 2004 to New Years 2024. The text over the video said something along the lines of: Look how much more excited people used to be for the new year. One brief glance into the comments and I saw statements like: “That’s because the world is burning and people are working hard to make less,” and “Hard to be happy when the environment is dying and the economy sucks.” I immediately closed Instagram and threw my phone down. But the damage had been done, I began panicking and had to look at reports from various scientific and government websites to assure myself that the world was in fact, not ending. Our world today contains so much negativity, so much hysteria, so many downcast outlooks. In such conditions, how are we supposed to stay sane, let alone happy?

New Years Eve Celebrations, 2024. Image from New Year Celebrations at Times Square New York – Future Blow

Hello everyone and welcome back to It’s the Little Things. Last semester, I focused on small practices you can do each day to make yourself a little bit happier and healthier. This semester, I’ll continue along this path, but this time I’ll be looking at keys to long-lasting and long-term happiness. As many of us wrap up our first year of college, it’s time to declare majors, consider career paths, and reevaluate our goals for the future. All the while, we are living in a time when perceptions about the future seem… less than optimistic. So please join me for the next semester as I examine the so-called secrets to happiness and living life to the fullest.

Before we get into the long-term strategies, I want to talk about where I went wrong with the social media experience I showed above. Even if you know some strategies or tips for long term happiness, it’s hard to avoid negative ideas like the ones shared with that video. That’s why the foundation for this journey will be learning how to “protect your piece” from the toxins in today’s world.

So, here’s what I did wrong…

Don’t do what I did. Don’t allow one unbased, unsupported social media post to upset you. Whenever you encounter negative content, on social media, on the internet, on TV, take a deep breath and remember that what you’re seeing is likely not the whole picture. It’s cliche to say, but getting upset over it won’t help anything. While this is easier said than done, having the discipline to adhere to this concept is crucial in maintaining long term happiness. If you worry about every negative thing you encounter in your day to life, odds are you will never stop worrying. 

Welcome to the happiness exploration!

Until next time,

Avi