Whoa! Slow Down and Don't Get it Twisted

So you may be saying to yourself right now, “SWEET! He just said happiness is the best thing, and feeling good is what it’s all about. Awesome! I’m going to go drink, smoke, and party like a rock star! WOOOO! Yeah, this book has given me the excuse I needed to act a fool.”

Let’s be clear: that is NOT what I’m saying. Let me repeat that: it is not what I’m saying at all.

The problem most people face, unfortunately, is they have a false understanding of what true happiness is. The problem is most people don’t find happiness in things that temporarily make us feel good but that are extremely destructive in the long term.

If I eat one cookie, it makes me happy. Yes, I believe in healthy living, but I love me a cookie every now and again... especially those Thin Mints the Girl Scouts sell. Mmmm. (Sorry, I got lost in a memory.)

But have you ever eaten an entire package of cookies? They may taste good going down, but you probably felt pretty gross afterwards. You can only eat but so many cookies before you hit the coma-inducing “I Can’t Eat One More Cookie” point. So clearly something like junk food can’t bring ultimate happiness, even though in the short term it makes us feel good.

Other people searching for happiness turn to drugs and alcohol. In the short term, these drugs seem desirable because of the temporary euphoric feeling they give their users. But any rational person can see the horrific effects these drugs have on the human body and mind over time. I don’t know about you, but I’ve never seen a crackhead I wanted to be like. I’ve never seen an alcoholic I would want to model. Over time, drugs and alcohol literally destroy our bodies and minds, so using these false stimulants cannot be the greatest happiness.

A physical pleasure cannot be the greatest form of happiness.

And yes, that includes ALL forms of physical pleasure (I think you know where I’m going with this).

Arel Moodie is widely known as America's Top Young Speaker. He has spoken to over 65,000 students in 39 states and 2 countries on the topics of student success, student leadership and student entrepreneurship. He is a leading authority on helping students of this generation succeed in school and in life. He is also the best selling author of the book Your Starting Point For Student Success. To find out more about Arel's book, go to www.startingpointbook.com. To find out more about Arel's speaking please go to www.arelmoodie.com.