Be Happy Without The Fairy Tale Or The Happy Ending

Everyone learns from childhood that stories always have a happy ending.

• It’s as if the world reaches harmony right on that last page  where everything becomes beautiful and the ending is fantastic.
• Couples enjoy a long and happy life, all problems are solved and the mean people and things magically disappear.

It is important to be aware that the original fairy tales by Hans Christian Andersen or the Brothers Grimm are not as safe as the Walt Disney versions. The princesses from those earlier stories usually didn’t have a happy marriage or an entire kingdom at their feet.

Balance

Both the minds of children and adults need a balance and the idea that everything will be fine and will end with eternal happiness is part of that.

It is time to be careful and realistic and to stop idealizing certain concepts, such as emotional relationships. In today’s article, we invite you to reflect on this topic.

The best stories don’t have to have a happy ending

You undoubtedly have several memories that, without not having an idyllically happy ending, still have value to you as a memory and experience.

That relationship that brought you so many tears when you were a teenager and that you got over with so much effort, but also learned so much from it… Even today, it’s still a magical memory.

That’s just one example – we’ve all had experiences that didn’t go the way we expected, but we don’t regret it.

In the end  , the best stories don’t have to have a happy ending to be great stories, wonderful histories.

Be happy without the story

Tal Ben-Shahar is a psychologist and professor at Harvard who has also written several books that teach you to be happy.

Strange as it may seem, the idea of ​​providing people with the means to achieve more as human beings is quite new, but there has always been a lot of interest in it.

• dr. Ben-Shahar is a good example of this. Through books such as “Choose the Life You Want” and “Happier”. In it he describes how people look for answers to existential voids through positive psychological approaches.

• It emphasizes the importance of not placing too much value on happy stories. He also states that you should not have the misconception that you should strive for eternal happiness.
• The first thing to avoid is feeding high expectations and seeking perfection. It is better to be humble and realistic and that you especially appreciate what you have.
• A mistake many people make is that they focus all their happiness on “getting what they want” (a life partner, a perfect house, a dream job).
• Dreaming is never wrong and neither is feeding expectations. But it is wise if you do so with a little perspective and with your feet firmly on the ground.

Fairy tales (high hopes, fantasies, false ideals) are prisons for personal growth.

If you don’t achieve what you set out to do, you will begin to feel the shadow of unhappiness.

So… what if you settle for something less?

The best time is now

Another pitfall that people often fall into is that they put all their dreams and hopes on tomorrow.

When you achieve something, you can do something else – when you find the perfect partner, you will finally feel whole; if you take that vacation you will be peaceful and relaxed forever.

This kind of reasoning is not appropriate or healthy for your emotional well-being. You can put off your tasks, activities, and appointments, but your happiness should never be put on the back burner. 

• The best time is now. Don’t think that you will only be happy if you find your perfect partner. Try to be happy with who you are now and what you have now.
• You don’t need anyone to feel good. Feel good now, with yourself.
• Instead of always thinking of the approaching vacation as that moment when you can finally take the time to process your stress, try to look for those simple moments of peace at the end of each day. It will be therapeutic and healthy.

In conclusion

In conclusion, stories and fairy tales are great resources to stimulate the imagination of children and adults. But adults need to understand that it’s a bad idea to seek that magical perfection in order to be happy.

Life’s greatest moments will not always have a happy ending. But they are beautiful moments worth living – and  after all, life is just a series of moments.