We had another vanlife gathering. They are great. You get to meet your old friends, see Instagram faces, and get to know who is behind a secret social media avatar. You also get some gossip about other people, pertinent places, and certain circumstances that surround vanlife. You also get to know people’s life philosophy.
Vanlife or not, I just had a conversation that made me think. As we discuss the whereabouts and carrying styles of vanlifers, one sentence stuck in my ears: “It does not matter what you do, as long as you are happy.”
A few years ago I would have agreed, but now I am not sure. What about:
- You drive your van, because that makes you happy
- You drive your van, but leave your trash on the street for others to pick up
And what about something outside vanlife:
- You eat candy because that makes you happy
- You eat candy, because that makes you happy, but you need to lose a few pounds to prevent health problems
- You eat candy, because that makes you happy, but you are obese T2 diabetic on multiple prescription drugs paid by the system
- You eat candy, because that makes you happy, but your obesity and T2 diabetes made you a burden to everyone, you, your family, and the taxpayers
- You eat candy and also feed it to an obese child, because that makes you and the child happy, but in the process you promote bad health that causes a cascade of costly personal, social, and economic consequences
How much does your happiness cost and how much others’ happiness cost you? I am sure you will find many interesting conclusions if you give it a deeper thought.
Did you know that there are three levels of happiness:
Popular Happiness: Aiming to be happy
Responsible Happiness: Aiming to be happy without burdening others
Enlightened Happiness: Aiming to be happy while helping others grow their full potential
What’s your happiness level?
