Be Content.. Be grateful

I'm sitting here, analyzing yet again.
How has the society of today influenced peoples live, positively?

I'm talking about mental and physical health. I'm talking about how everybody feels pressure. Nobody can deny that they never feel pressured. Pressured in the sense that we have to achieve certain things, possess certain amounts and feel and look a certain way.
Otherwise, there must be something wrong? Well, that's so NOT the case.

The pressure from society seems to be that a fulfilled life is only "achieved" as soon as a person is always busy, socializing, going places, having a many friends as possible and having a great career. Why?

People can be "frowned upon" when they have just 1 friend, and empty diary and a job that only just makes ends meet at the end of the month. Why?

Where has this pressure come from? Why does everyone always try be happier than they already are? Is it because some people don't even realize what they have and that a full state of happiness can never be achieved? Ask anybody: "When will you be able to say that you are a happy soul or what will make you happy?". Most people will answer "when i win the lottery", or "when I find the person of my dreams and have kids". Ok, fair enough. That same person who has answered by saying "kids and the person of my dreams", ask them, once they have this, if they're happy, or what they want to make them happy. You won't hear them saying "I don't want anything else.. I no longer strive to be happy, because this is it..". (Maybe the odd person, who actually realizes how lucky they are to have gotten what they longed so badly for, but the majority of people would still have something to add, to make them happy..)

Isn't that such a shame? Why can't people realize that a full state of happiness can never be achieved, but being content in your life is far more important. If everyone realized just how lucky they are to have already have achieved certain things or to have already fulfilled certain things that we used to dream of as young children.. Then wouldn't the pressure be less?

People don't just let themselves live life and enjoy the little things. Everybody is so busy, running through life, not even realizing that their lives are living them and not the other way around, like it should be. People should be enjoying whilst living and not feel frustrated, agitated and annoyed whilst their busy schedules rule their life.
Running through life isn't living.. It's more like "The faster I live, the sooner I will get it over and done with.." or "I'm running somewhere". But where is this race leading? Do people just want to finish it as soon as soon as possible? Or are they running this marathon (which is daily life) to win a full state of Happiness as a reward?.. But hang on..a full state of happiness cannot be achieved.. Conclusion: Maybe just slow down and enjoy what you have right here, right now..
Such a shame that people don't see it..
Okay,I got Slightly off-track..

But how can anyone benefit from living this way? How can a person benefit from all these pressures daily life brings with it? The stress levels, the pace of life and always trying to live by certain standards. The brain will eventually go into melt-down as more and more people start to ignore what their body might be trying to tell them.. Because they don't take time to listen, they don't take time to get better after the flu for instance or they don't slow down and take it easy after a stressful period. This all builds up.. over the years and years.. And then the inevitable will happen..? It will all explode..Everything will come to a head. All at once and it will seem as if it were for no apparent reason.

So What's the point? Why do we feel this need for pressure? It seems like a waste of time. Why would someone live life just to work towards their pension for example? What's the point? We are all here, and alive NOW.. Why do people stress about "saving money for RAINY DAY".. (being in Ireland I can understand, seeing a though there are plenty rainy days..haha), why do people stress about things that are inevitable? It's so pointless..

That's the beauty about countries where they have so little. They live for today, they live in the here and now. They have a roof over their head and food on the table, and loved ones around them.. Why can't that be enough in this western world?

The point I'm trying to make, is never forget that being content is not a goal, it's a state of being and if everyone knew how much they already have, the little things that they cherish, they wouldn't feel the need to constantly strive and achieve happiness, which relieves the pressures that we all feel day in day out.. Because the marathon will never be won, and will never reward you will that full state of happiness that everyone wants..

So, for me, I'm content being in Ireland surrounded by loved ones and I can only benefit from these hard times life is throwing at me right now.
Cherish the things we have.