For a long time, I treated happiness like a finish line — something I’d reach after a few right choices. Better job, better circle, better version of me — that was the chase. But the finish line kept shifting. The moment I thought I’d made it, it moved again.
Eventually, I realized happiness isn’t where you arrive. It’s what shows up when you find peace along the way.
People will always talk. Situations will always change. You can’t control that — but you can choose whether to let it shake your mind.
I’ve learned not to let my surroundings decide my peace. Whether things go great or fall apart — peace is something I try to keep within me, not around me.
Some days, it’s as simple as watching birds eat from the feeder in my backyard.
Just sitting there, no noise, no goals, no expectations — and feeling peaceful for no reason.
That kind of peace lasts longer than happiness ever does.
Learning over Winning
I started playing billiards in the summer of 2019 — love at first sight (or play 😄). Hours in league, more hours watching videos, and even more hours replaying shots in my head. Most of my practice was just making balls.
In practice, I was great. In competition — not so much. Heart racing, hands shaking, missing shots I could make blindfolded. A friend once told me, “You need to practice your mindset, not just your aim.” Didn’t make sense then.
After one bad tournament, my wife asked me:
- Her: Why do you like to play pool?
- Me: I love when a shot in my head actually happens on the table. That feeling is unreal.
- Her: Then why do you care if you win or lose?
Mind = blown.
That’s when I realized winning was never the goal. Learning, improving, and enjoying the game — that was. And once I focused on that, I actually started playing better. Winning came naturally after that.
Doing What You Like over Chasing a Career
It’s the same story with work. I’ve always done what I enjoy — coding, building software, solving problems. Never chased titles.
Over time, the promotions came anyway. Not because I planned them, but because I was doing what I genuinely loved.
When you chase a “career,” it feels like a race that never ends. But when you focus on doing what feels right — work that excites you — the “career” quietly builds itself in the background.
So yeah, my version of life is simple now:
- Seek peace, not happiness.
- Seek learning, not winning.
- Do what you like, not what looks good.
It’s was superb mindset I think it’s better to go positive and should not run behind success, just do your job success will come behind you.