Happiness is ... absence of fear?

Fear of failure and of being judged and criticized.

We spend our lives trying to live up to someone's expecations - our parents, our peers, boy/girl we try to impress, spouse, friends, bosses, our own kids... So many times we end being chastised for our efforts with "we criticize you because we love you and want you to be perfect, people who praise you don't like you, they don't care if you get better...". Screw this »love«, it's nice to be praised for a change, or at least for people to back off and not point to each and every flaw.

It's so good to feel we are not under scrutiny all the bloody time. It's good to feel we don't have to run away and hide to be ourselves. We can just be, and, amazingly, be accepted as such. The comfort is just unbelievable. Unbelievable.

Of course there are the eternal fears, that linger somewhere - death, disasters, loss, but with a bit of balance in life and feeling good about ourselves, even those seem to fade away a bit. BTW, I don't fear death and whatever is or is not after that, but please spare me the fuss. Wonder if blogger is good enough as a living will, but here it goes - do not ressuscitate, no machines, let me go and cremate me afterwards. Amen. As I said, I don't fear the other side, even if it's nothingness, but I would like some more time here. Especially the "no fear of scrutiny" time, please.