Nina vs The World

Living in a first world country at first glance, seems like the perfect picture. Ample job opportunities, education prospects abound, varied and accessible places to find food, laws set in place to protect us, safe roads, a plethora of entertainment options.. Convenience and comfort at an affordable price. It's no surprise millions migrate to the US (and other first would countries) every year to find their patch of ground and get a taste of this life. But what's the cost?  If we step away from all the glittering gold.. Living in a world that offers this and more has its definite drawbacks. They're not apparent at first, but they come attached like the fine print footnote you decided to click "I read and agree" to without so much as a glance. Even in this charming, promising bubble of a world, major depression is one of the most common disorders. And almost everyone at one point experiences episodes of anxiety, panic attacks, and staggering levels of stress....

We recently watched this video at work.. part of an all-encompassing positive change to the company. At first glance, I thought the video would entail some sort of problem-solving or dealing techniques, a way to cope with life's pesky little problems. Instead, it was an hour long interesting discussion on how your brain is powerful and dumb, at the same time. That in a way, you can "trick" yourself to be happy and in doing so, become healthier, happier and more successful. And it all boiled down to the philosophy that happiness is a choice, and one we must make every morning. I listened intrigued, to the research that this Harvard graduate had combed over from years of observation and studying, finding what happy people have in common and how this relates to their health. And from that, he narrowed happiness down to five key factors; five habits that breed positive outlooks which in turn equate happiness. I couldn't help but smirk when he went through all five...

Was I sleeping when dating paralleled happiness? Or became the pursuit of an enriched life? I have nothing against true love, for in many cases its like a cancerous tumor. You can't see it growing inside you til you're in the final stages of metastasis. But what I am against, is people making the rest of us single people seem like were deficient, defective, or socially challenged because we're not coupled. I got news for you. This isn't the 19th century, and I'm not Jane Austen. Just because some of us decide we don't want to get tangled up in the messes of love doesn't mean we aren't capable of bliss. Granted, doing your significant other's laundry, slaving in the kitchen and falling asleep to the lulling acoustics of his snoring and farting may be your idea of heaven, but spare me your ideals. It's bad enough growing up and being responsible for your own self to then rush in to more responsibility and babysitting an adult. I have enough sel...