Is there a formula to happiness? And if there is, why are so many people still unhappy? In her latest TEDx Talk, mindset and wellness expert, Sonia Jhas questions what it really means to be happy and whether happiness is a destination or a journey.
“Where do the happy people live?” Mindset and wellness expert, Sonia Jhas answers this in her latest TEDx Talk. She explains that for many people, happiness is a destination that we can get to, as long as we do everything that our parents – and society – says that we should do. If we drive fast enough, take the highway, and just keep pushing, eventually…eventually, we can find happiness.
But what if, just what if, the definition of “happiness” by society is not even what we want?
With the recent release of her December 2021 TEDx Talk on YouTube, Sonia Jhas reexamines the pressures many women – and men – face in their lives. Raised in a traditional Indian family, Jhas was set to be on the “road to happiness”, checking all the boxes in her family's "happiness to-do list", including getting married, until she realized that it wasn’t what she wanted.
DUN DUN DUN! Do we hear some Indian Aunties fainting? Learn more about Jhas’ story at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hxKADRl8nGo
In her talk, “Where do the happy people live?”, Jhas asks you why you chase dreams that aren’t your own. She explains that social media has become an impossible dream, where we begin comparing ourselves not even to our peers but to the whole world. It is no wonder then, she says, why we are not happy as we attempt to beat the entire human population.
Several psychological studies attest to this. According to numerous studies, the excessive use of social media can negatively impact mental health. This is particularly seen among the youth who begin to compare their lives to what they see on their social media pages. Even if most people understand that some pictures are heavily filtered or edited, the fact remains that there is a “what if” that is reflected in what is seen on the screen.
But even if we are “happy”, what if that “happiness” is far different from what we expected? When we define our happiness by what society tells us are the ingredients to it, where do we turn to when we don’t like the final dish?
Jhas understands this personally. When she broke off her engagement and quit her high-paying corporate job to follow her own dreams, her family thought she was doomed to misery. Striking her own path as a mindset and wellness expert in social media, Jhas found that happiness is not a single destination inhabited by many, but a unique place defined by the driver.
She says, “I believe it’s time for us to un-layer and reconnect with ourselves. It’s time for us to come back home to who we really are. It’s time for us to redefine happiness. My hope is that my talk will help you take an honest look at what you really want for yourself.”
It won’t be easy, but striking your own happiness is one of the greatest gifts you can give yourself. Then, and only then, will you be the driver to your own location of happiness – to your own personal paradise.
Be guided by your own inner compass. Go to https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hxKADRl8nGo so you can learn more.
