The Pursuit of Happiness
Between artificial intelligence, rising temperatures, the rise of fascist regimes, & maturing mindsets, it can be hard to find your footing in this world. We’re privileged with access to knowledge at speeds our predecessors could only imagine. While ironically experiencing a rise in illiteracy. It can feel quite hopeless as we come into ourselves. What’s the point in building our worlds if it’s the end of the world? Is it wrong to pursue happiness while sorrow exists in the world? Where it is we should plant our seeds seems to be a challenge for many these days.
These questions have found themselves ruminating in me. I pursue a career in the arts while the world around me burns. Every day there is a new article telling us more bad news. Every day we see another policy passed that endangers marginalized communities. It seems history really does repeat itself. You would think we would learn from our lessons and find harmony but the more visibility given to the disenfranchised is met with more conservatism. Give us an inch and then come back for a mile. We witnessed a renaissance in trans representation in the media with Laverne Cox in Orange Is the New Black & the cast of Pose. A trans woman, Alex Consani, won the Model of the Year award. This is the momentum queer folk of Stonewall fought for. Not to have it combated by the 63 anti-trans bills passed in 2026 at the time of me writing this. The ordinary act of daring to dream feels dystopian against this backdrop. The battle of filling my tank & showing up for friends seems so irrelevant in contrast. Yet, the battle still arrives as I traverse my mid-twenties. The privilege of finding safety in my mother as I fight against credit card debt, student loans, and overdraft fees even feels demoralizing in the face of wealth in media. You know the feeling. Aspiring for the success you’ve seen and long admired in others only to find yourself in the same room you were last year. As if no matter what we do we’ll always end up right back where we started. Fuck that.
You know the mountains you’ve climbed, the relationships you’ve tried to save, the money you’ve donated, the good you’ve done, & the dreams you dared to dream. It is our duty to continue despite the odds & create a culture of hope for the future. Social media can brainwash us into comparison. I know you’ve heard it before but remember, comparison is the thief of joy. You don’t have to wish less on another because of your desire for more in the finish line you see in them. Do not segregate yourself from the community you aspire to be like. You can learn more with them around than without. Moreover, you are not your thoughts. Celebrate your little wins like waking up and brushing your teeth. Some of us have lost our will to do even that. Time is short & life is so precious. Don’t allow yourself to be disabled by your empathy. Allow yourself to be empowered. Plant your seeds and pursue your happiness. You won’t get another chance to.
Illustration by Kot Bonkers
