Wednesday's Words of Wisdom: Does the Pursuit of Happiness Lead to Unhappiness?

Thought for the Day: Today's Words of Wisdom came from answering a question on HealthTap. The question was: Do any docs think the pursuit of happiness brings about unhappiness? For those of you new to my blog, on HealthTap responses to questions are limited to 400 characters. Given the broad nature of the question, this one was challenging, but it lead me to create the quote you see in the image above: 

"The pursuit of happiness does not lead to unhappiness. The pursuit of unrealistic expectations leads to unhappiness."

Here's how I put it in 400 characters...

Very interesting question

      I believe that unrealistic expectations of what equals happiness are a major factor leading to unhappiness. Advertising in our society leads many people to believe that happiness is dependent on owning things or looking a specific way. This leads to feeling disappointed with what we have or how we look. Healthy relationships, loving work, and feeling positive about our lives brings happiness.

You can check out my profile on HealthTap to read other answers & tips. I just added the image I created to go with the quote!