A New Year, Another Year Older and Am I Happy?

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I’ve been encountering many people who are down in the dumps lately.

Maybe it’s seasonal depression, though that’s difficult to diagnose in Austin when January has seen eighty degree temperatures.

Or maybe it’s that the new year brings a slew of questions and few answers.

The majority of the people who claim that they’re sad, lonely and confused are also saying they have no idea what they’re doing with their life.

A new year, another year older and am I happy?

Some of these individuals are highly established in their careers and personal lives, while others are not.  It doesn’t matter if you’re a famous filmmaker or an aspiring musician/restaurant server- we’re all in the same boat (which is also a nice reminder not to compare yourself to others).

I spent a great deal of my twenties asking this question. I drifted from East Coast to West Coast to Third Coast trying to discover who I was and what I wanted to do with my life. There were many nights drinking alone, calling my parents sobbing with endless question marks and pages of journal entries that would give Morrissey a run for his money. Even though I can honestly say that I’m the most grounded and clear-headed I’ve ever been, that doesn’t mean that I’m 100% content and won’t stop questioning.

I try to remind my melancholic friends that questioning and discontent are good.

Being self-aware is good.

Their fall-down-sobbing-arms-raised-to-God moments are good.

Those moments when you feel that your brain is going to explode from thinking, over-analyzing and freting too much are good.

It is those who don’t strive to move forward that have the most to worry about.

If you don’t attempt to change your unhappiness then you’ve committed to letting your soul wilt away.

The unexamined life is not worth living.

So, remember this: if you’re one of those people who are sad, lonely and confused right now- you’re not alone.

You’re going to be ok.

It’s all temporary if you want it to be.