“Happiness is not real unless it is shared.” - Chris McCandless

Last Saturday I stood alone atop the mountain at Big White Ski Resort enjoying the sun, surveying the spectacular scenery, and contemplating the ski run that lay before me. It was a wonderful moment in a wonderful day. It was that type of moment when everything seems just right. And yet, despite this feeling of peace, there was something missing from the experience….

Just two nights earlier I had watched the film Into the Wild. For those who have not seen the movie (or read the book), it is based on the true story of a young man called Chris McCandless who cuts off all ties to his upper middle class family and follows his instinct to go “anywhere but here.” He lives out of a backpack and ekes out a marginal existence drifting across the United States. Eventually he heads north and enters the Alaskan Wilderness. He never returns.

The quote at the start of this article, “happiness is not real unless it is shared”, is Chris’ final realization before he dies alone in the Alaskan Wilderness. As I thought about this quote, I came to see that my own experiences lead me to a similar conclusion. I think this quote was especially pertinent for me because I, like Chris, have a natural tendency to shun the company of other people. It’s not that I don’t like being around other people (quite the opposite in fact). Rather, I am simply very comfortable doing things on my own.

Like Chris, soon after graduating from university I took off to see what the world held on offer for me. I was traveled solo, and had only the barest of plans. I still clearly remember touching down in Vancouver for the first time in November 2003 and feeling this incredible sense of exhileration and freedom.

Two months into my overseas adventure I met Kathryn. Over the next 7 months we basically everything together: skiing, hiking, camping, partying, etc. It was an amazing time in my life, and it was all the more special to be able to have these experiences with another person who was (and still is!) a very important part of my life.

In August 2004 these 7 months months came to an abrupt end. I waved goodbye to Kathryn at the Vancouver airport not knowing if I would ever see her again. And for the next month I traveled to various places - Eastern Canada, Copenhagen, Germany, Amsterdam, London - before finally returning home to Australia. This was undoubtedly an incredible month, and I was rarely alone in the sense that it was easy to meet and hang out with other travelers. But just like my recent day of skiing solo at Big White, there was something missing….. and that was someone to share my happiness with.

Thoughts on Happiness

The following are a few of my thoughts on happiness that are related to this story:

*Don’t rely on other people for your own happiness. However, try to appreciate not only the extra happiness that other people can bring to your life, but also the extra happiness you can bring to theirs.

*With the above in mind, make an effort to share experiences with your friends and/ or significant other. And don’t forget, while we live in a time where we are more connected (internet, cell phones, IM, etc.) to each other than ever before, it is really the human connections that count.

*Don’t let not having someone to share an experience with hold you back from doing what you want to do. As my own experience traveling and meeting Kathryn shows, sometimes you have to be willing to put yourself out there on your own - whether it be going out, seeing a movie, traveling, etc - to meet the people who become most special in your life.

Your thoughts?

Image by frozenchipmunk.

Tags: Happiness //