Observation of Happiness

Traveling outside the United States forces you to question the way we value happiness and where our happiness comes from.

I strongly believe that since there is less economic opportunity out here, there is a greater opportunity to carve a route of self-discovery.

The greater population in Europe strives for happiness but not necessarily in a direct relationship with money. The relationship can be indirect and still offer happiness, but that would not fly in America. Money and happiness intersect but the intersectional point is labeled enjoyment. Do you get what I am saying?

There is no sense of urgency. You are able to eat at your pace and sit for as long as you would like. Instead of ordering a Venti Starbucks, they emotionally attach themselves to a simple cappuccino.

As Americans, we consume coffee for the benefit of staying focused on our work and suppressing our appetite.

As Europeans, coffee is a yummy treat. It is a time of day to digest the external world. Europeans have such a different relationship with food. It appears to be healthier due to the fact that they just simply enjoy what their taste buds are tasting. They treat the present moment as a present, like how it should be treated.

Moreover, I strongly believe that since there is more economic opportunity in the United States, there is less opportunity to carve a route of self-discovery.

What I mean by this is that since we are enameled with the pressure of making money, we get lost in the sauce of discovering what truly makes us happy. From a young age, we understand that if you want a good life you must have money to match those means. It does not have to be like that, but respectfully, in some places it does.

Such a shame :(

I understand that there are different levels, or social classes, that receive pleasure in regard to what they spend money on. The higher ranking you go, the more extravagant it can get; to define extravagant is to define what elegance means to you. It differs and I respect any type of definition.

I deeply appreciate watching others enjoy themselves. It makes me step into this energy of purely enjoying the nothingness. Leaning into the nothingness helps my inner world. I am able to make peace of nothing. It is so dope.

Just more thoughts in the mind of Chelsey Grace! Ciao.

Xoxo, Chelsey Grace Jacobs #W2W

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