Do not commit the cardinal mistake of being too frightened to pursue TRUE happiness! Comfort derives from rote routine; it is a function of bland repetitiveness. This routine doesn’t necessarily have to be one of happiness and pleasure though. Conversely, it may just as easily be grounded in drudgery and despair. The salient point then becomes this: Human beings, akin to any of our animal cousins, are archetypal creatures of habit, and that habituation—irrespective of whether it is pleasurable or not—then becomes our baseline for living. We become inured to whatever we are doing or whatever lifestyle we are living to the point where it becomes comfortable and our familiar frame of reference. However, that doesn’t mean there may not be greater opportunities for happiness lurking somewhere out there. In fact—deferring now to the omnipotent Law of Averages—commonly there is. What we need to do—And, understand, this is NOT an easy thing to accomplish!—is break those stubborn bonds of familiarity and not be afraid to strike out on a new and completely different path. Do not let blind fear stand in your way!! Kick it in the testicles—HARD!!!–and force it to flee!!! If you sense that you are not truly happy and that you are missing out on some integral aspects of life, then you probably are. Trust your instincts on this!! Cast aside those burdensome shackles that are holding you back from real elation and thereupon follow your heart wherever it chooses to lead you. After all, you have only been granted one life; do not let fear of the unknown sabotage and despoil this ineffable gift from our cosmos creator.
Fred's Soapbox 