![pexels-photo-245239.jpeg](https://steemitimages.com/DQmVkBpn57jQNh7XcnHM9A6F4zPgsRVyhaG9Kk5ixtkbtf4/pexels-photo-245239.jpeg)
<center> [Image source](https://www.pexels.com/photo/adult-autumn-beautiful-christmas-245239/) </center>

Yesterday, I spoke about Naval Ravikant's philosophy on [the search of life](https://steemit.com/life/@bensimblog/who-and-what-needs-you-the-most).

Today we will be talking about happiness according to Naval as I find his perspective to be refreshing (as usual).

Here it goes.

**"Happiness is wanting what you have. It's the feeling that nothing is missing in this moment."**

Let's start with wanting what you have.

# Wanting what you have

> "Happiness is not having what you want. It is wanting what you have." - Rabbi Hyman Schachtel 

Anyone who has been lived long enough will realize that practising gratitude is essential to keeping ourselves content in times of envy or anxiety.

Maybe we saw Dora travel to another country while we are still busy trying get to 3 months emergency savings.

We see our younger peers reaching success much faster than we are.

We feel like a **failure.**

![pexels-photo-277052.jpeg](https://steemitimages.com/DQmaqiKuzhWH9a3R2TLQqfN9L2avphFnwFnUwb6pD67ziLm/pexels-photo-277052.jpeg)
<center>[Image source](https://www.pexels.com/photo/board-game-business-challenge-chess-277052/)</center>

So in a bid to make ourselves happy, we may do one of two things:

1. Rationalize that Dora's life isn't what it seems. Her life must miserable outside of her Instagram photos.

2. We stop comparing ourselves to others and think back to where we were last year. 

As you can guess - No. 2 is a healthier option. 

The fact that you are reading this tells me that if you are into personal growth and you have - without a doubt - progressed year after year. You may be unsatisfied that you are not moving as fast as the others. But you are moving. 

A word of caution: you can NEVER be happy playing the comparison game. Don't believe me?

Think about a time when you first graduated university.

All you cared about was getting a paying job, the higher the better.

![achievement-bar-business-chart-40140.jpeg](https://steemitimages.com/DQmSWiDoNVu3KmJifjXiwxWahvxm6tWK9ZLy8g6faL2zUeQ/achievement-bar-business-chart-40140.jpeg)
<center>[Image source](https://www.pexels.com/photo/brass-round-7-stack-coins-40140/)</center>

To you, you were excited and looked forward to the interview and securing that job.

Fast forward today, you hate the job. But it's worth remembering that at one point in time (and for the longest time), you thought: "If only I can make RM3000 a month, it would be amazing."

But then you were pulling in RM3000 a month. You got used to things.  When you started to get discontent, you said "If only I can make RM5000 a month"

But you are making RM5000 a month now. And yet, you never stopped to smell the coffee.

I never believed in halting your ambitions, but it's worth noting that we have to be proud and grateful as to where we are right now.


# The feeling that nothing is missing

I liked the fact that Naval added this extra bit.

In addition to wanting what you have, there will be instances where you be comparing the present moment with another moment.

Let me explain.

Imagine you are at the beach at sunset, the waves are moving, the wind is blowing, everything looks perfect... except that you start comparing it to the other time you were at Pulau Redang when the water was a lot bluer.

Moment ruined.

It's tiny details like this that sabotage you and rob you of your happiness.

So, the next time you are on the verge of ruining a potential sunset in your life, just stop and say to yourself:

"Everything is where it should be. And it looks beautiful."

# To sum up

Being happy comes in equal parts wanting what you have and equal parts feeling that nothing is missing in this moment.

I would like to close with a brilliant line my friend told me when it came to comparing your level of success with others:

**"Don't compare your Chapter 1 to someone else's Chapter 20."**

Thanks for reading.