The American author and poet Henry David Thoreau once expressed the following, “Happiness is like a butterfly; the more you chase it, the more it will elude you, but if you turn your attention to other things, it will come and sit softly on your shoulder…”

In an attempt to resolve the idea of happiness being an elusive quality, we imply that it is so by framing it in the negative. Given the suffering present in the world nowadays, many of us are inclined to consider happiness as being intangible. It would not be incorrect to assume the following line of thought in such an event, “How can happiness prevail when there is suffering in the world?”

You’ve decided to create a new habit to curtail your recent indulgence for over-eating. Your children have even made a passing remark, noticing your ‘winter weight,’ which has slowly crept up on you in recent times. The café lattes you sneak in throughout the day have become an unnecessary luxury. You’ve conceded defeat – it’s time to trade in the coffee card for the gym membership.

It must be said that forming new habits is challenging, since it disrupts both mind and body’s natural state of equilibrium. While the rational mind is quick to affirm an emphatic YES to the new habit, the emotional brain is not quite as enthusiastic to your new laid plans.

People are certainly not pessimistic at birth. But somehow, somewhere along the way, some of us just cease to be happy and instead fill our minds and hearts up with all the negative and feelings.

Experts know there is such thing as ‘negative patterns’ caused by people and certain circumstances all throughout one’s life. Some may be lucky enough to implement their own initiative of overcoming the pessimistic attitude on their own.

But others may not be as lucky. Without external help, their negativism leads them to a more severe condition like mental illness. When an individual feels those patterns that are not positive, his happier way of seeing the world likewise ceases.

Being comfortable with your way of life is common among most people. Job stability and daily routine both contribute as inputs to the present idea of a cozy life. Here at BoredAfterCollege.com, we have no rebuttal if someone chooses to live a life of routine and repeated processes.

There seems to be a growing trend among younger people who either are in the workforce or have just recently graduated. The advent of computers, access to educational tools and social networking have all strengthened the notion that today’s information is far different from yesterday’s and will be even more different than tomorrow’s. In other words, there will always be new pursuits available to us each day. Whether they fall in the realm of career choices, knowledge acquisition or simply something cool and fun to do – it’s all possible.