There are three myths when it comes to the pursuit of happiness. The first myth is that worldly success will make us happy. What level of success do you imagine will make you happy? Because I can promise you the happiness that will be born from that success will be very short lived. I've known some people who have been phenomenally successful, some of them immensely happy, and some of them are miserable. And what I've discovered is the ones that were very happy before they became successful are still very happy. And those who were miserable before they came successful are still miserable. The truth is, worldly success only makes us happy, only brings happiness to our lives in as much as it helps us become the best version of ourselves.

The second myth is that physical pleasure will make us happy. But what physical pleasure can be sustained? Physical pleasure is fleeting, and when detached from our central purpose, always leaves emptiness in its aftermath. Physical pleasure contributes to the lasting happiness in our lives only when it helps us to become the best version of ourselves… only when it is connected to our essential purpose.

The third myth is that fun equals happiness. Most people believe the more fun experiences they can pack into their lives the happier they will be. I mean, close your eyes for a moment and imagine a scene of happy people. Most people conjure up a scene of people eating, drinking, and partying. This is their scene of fun people. Very few people will conjure up an old woman sitting on a swing reading a great book, or an old man, or a young man working in his garden equally quietly, equally contented, or a couple playing with their children. Most people conjure up a scene of happiness. They conjure up people partying, drinking, and eating. The challenge is to learn to have fun doing the things that matter most. I mean, the more we can infuse the things that help us become the best version of ourselves with fun, the happier we'll be, and that's the only connection between fun and happiness. We only find happiness through the activities of fun when those activities are also helping us achieve our central purpose and become the best version of ourselves.

Matthew Kelly

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