It’s Not the Drugs or Weather, But I Feel Happier Today

One of my all-time favorite happiness songs is “Gloria” by The Midnight, where the singer states:

Oh, Gloria  
I feel so much better  
I feel so much better today  
And it’s not the drugs  
And it’s not the weather  
I just feel so much better today

This song resonates with me because the singer doesn’t attribute their happiness (i.e., “being better”) to something external, such as “drugs” or “weather.” This contradicts what most people think happiness should be—that is, derived from external sources like money, success, power, and recognition, which are metaphorically represented as “drugs” or “weather” in the context of this song.

Viewing happiness in this external light is equivalent to trying to put together an impossible puzzle that is constantly changing, regularly contradicting itself, and for the most part incomplete. It’s like juggling chainsaws while riding a unicycle blindfolded. Naturally, most people are unable to do so, finding themselves stressed, anxious, and unhappy.

Conversely, we need to do something seemingly impossible: stop chasing happiness and just assume that we are already happy. After all, the more we chase happiness, the more it seems to run away from us. The solution to this paradox of happiness is to simply accept happiness as an integral part of our lives, regardless of our current state. Realistically speaking, true happiness comes from within, not without.

Gloria The Midnight

Furthermore, achieving happiness is often easier than most people think, as we are already living in the most advanced society the world has ever seen—definitely better than what the world was 50, 100, 200, or more years ago. As such, if ever we had the tools to be happy, it is right now.

The only reason we might think otherwise is because we always believe we need more and more, perpetuating an endless rat race of comparison, chasing an elusive carrot that always seems just out of reach.

In this way, during my visit to India, I saw many poor people who appeared happier than many people in the “rich” Western world. They were happy not because of their wealth, but because of an inner wealth that keeps them content despite their relatively worse circumstances. And this is real happiness I’m talking about, the kind that we too can cultivate in ourselves, to be happy regardless of what is happening in the world, so we feel so much better today without drugs or good weather.

Stay happy!

Picture of Roman Russo: Author of Optimal Happiness

Roman Russo: Author of Optimal Happiness

Roman Russo wasn't always happy and struggled with his own negative emotions, anxieties, and depression, until one day he pledged to resolve this part of life, whatever it took. The journey took 6 years, but it was worth it. Today, Roman considers himself to be one of the happiest people alive, part of the 1% of the happiest elite, and he now teaches others a working and universal happiness formula to reach a similar goal. He offers his best advice on Optimal Happiness social media, newsletter, blog, and books, and teaches a complete and unconditional happiness formula in his online courses.

2 thoughts on “It’s Not the Drugs or Weather, But I Feel Happier Today”

  1. Absolutely nailed it there – how chasing happiness causes more unhappiness. I read about this as part of a concept called “Being infragile” and how to indirectly create causes for happiness (by working on health, fitness, spending quality time with close friends etc.)

  2. Chasing happiness can indeed create unhappiness because the underlying assumption is that we currently lack happiness. However, the key to finding happiness is actually realizing that we have the capacity for happiness and accepting that it is already within us. The constant pursuit of external factors and trying to force happiness can be counterproductive and lead to dissatisfaction. Instead, finding contentment in the present moment and focusing on gratitude can cultivate true happiness.

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“The problem is that of optimization,” states Roman Russo, author of Optimal Happiness: The Fastest & Surest Way To Reach Your Happiest Potential. There is plenty of advice on how to be happier or less sad, but no one is speaking about how to become the happiest we can be. And this is the difference that makes all the difference. By not looking at our maximum potential for happiness, we fall short of achieving it. After all, we all have hundreds of ideas on how to be happier or less sad, but most people still feel like they are not living their best lives. As such, Optimal Happiness explores the question of how to be the happiest we can be, regardless of who we are, where we are from, and what our life circumstances are. It proposes a complete and unconditional formula for happiness and explains how you too can become happy today and forever, inviting you to join the 1% happiness elite and become one of the happiest people alive.

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