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We’ve all been there. That rush when you finally get the thing you wanted, the job, the love, the trip, the expensive dessert that ruins your diet plan. For a moment, the world sparkles. And then… poof. The shine fades. The thrill gets replaced by the next craving. Happiness is like that one flaky friend: great company when they show up, but they never stay for long. The Bhagavad Gita saw this pattern centuries ago. It didn’t just shake its head and say, “Life’s hard, deal with it.” It went deeper: happiness doesn’t last because it was never meant to. It’s not a bug in the system—it is the system.

The Borrowed Nature of HappinessEvery happy feeling we get is tied to something outside of us. A win, a compliment, a slice of cake. But here’s the catch: those things are temporary. Wins fade, compliments dry up, cakes get eaten (tragic, but true). The Gita calls this the trap of the senses, you feel joy when they’re pleased, but the moment they’re not, your happiness files for divorce.

Why Pleasure Always Comes With an Expiry DateThink about it: the very thing that makes you happy also carries the seed of discomfort. The food that delights you will eventually make you full, maybe even sick. The binge-worthy show will eventually bore you. The relationship that once made your heart race will eventually test your patience. The Gita’s point? Happiness is not bad, it’s just short-lived by design. Expecting it to stay forever is like expecting fireworks to burn all night.

The Real Addiction: The Next ThingThe Gita unmasks our real habit: not happiness, but the chase. We’re not addicted to joy, we’re addicted to “what’s next.” You land a new job, and instead of enjoying it, you’re already plotting the next promotion. You find love, but soon you’re asking, “what’s missing?” It’s not that we can’t be happy, it’s that our minds are always negotiating a better deal. And that’s why happiness slips away: because we never let it sit still.

Why Happiness Isn’t the GoalHere’s the mic-drop moment. The Gita never tells you to stop enjoying life. It simply reminds you: happiness is like a guest. Welcome it warmly, but don’t redesign your house for someone who’s not staying. What actually lasts, according to the Gita, is peace.
Peace isn’t flashy. It doesn’t sweep you off your feet or make you squeal with excitement. But it also doesn’t walk out when the music stops. Peace is the kind of quiet satisfaction that doesn’t depend on how the world behaves. It’s not about highs, it’s about steadiness.

What Do We Do With This?Stop treating happiness like the holy grail. Enjoy it, but don’t build your life around catching it. Instead, invest in peace: clarity of mind, detachment from the endless “next,” and the ability to stay centered no matter what collapses around you. Happiness is sweet, but peace is freedom.
The Bhagavad Gita wasn’t written to depress you. It was written to free you. If happiness doesn’t last, it’s not because you’re broken. It’s because happiness isn’t built to last. And maybe that’s okay. Because once you stop clinging to happiness like it’s oxygen, you make space for something deeper, peace. And peace, unlike happiness, doesn’t ghost.