Myself Included.

包括我自己。

At the personal, professional and political level, everything just feels a little hopeless.

不論是個人、工作或是政治層面，所有的一切就是感覺好像沒什麼希望。

I mean there's just been so many retrogrades this year, you know?

我是說，今天有好多行星逆行，你們知道嗎？

And like right now Venus is retrograding into Scorpio and then it's gonna transition into Libra,

就像現在金星正要逆行到天蠍座，然後它就要轉換到天秤座，

so we just have to like stay strong you guys, 'cause I dunno what's gonna happen during this time!

所以我們必須要堅強，姐妹們，因為我不知道還會發生什麼事！

And lately, I've really been wondering, "How do you be happy when it feels like the world is on fire?"

最近，我真的很疑惑這個問題：如果這整個世界都起火了，亂成一片，你們怎麼還能保持愉快？

And not just like the ignorant happiness of obliviousness, real, genuine happiness in the face of adversity.

而不只是像遺忘一切的無知幸福，而是面臨逆境時還能保有真正的、真誠的快樂。

I mean when shit hits the fan, how do you stay in a state of joy and gratitude?

當突然發生一堆鳥事的時候，你怎麼能保持在高興、感激的狀態裡？

Is it even possible for those of us who are not the Dalai Lama?

這對我們這些不是達賴喇嘛的人來說，可能嗎？

Oh my God, he is so wise! Retweet, like, follow.

我的天啊，他好有智慧！轉發、按讚、訂閱。

I have a friend named Linda. Linda's in her early fifties, and I met her doing background like, ten years ago.

我有個朋友叫 Linda，她現在 50 多歲，我認識她的時候她的工作是當幕後人員，大概十年前。

And for those of you who don't know, background means where the extras in the back of film and tv scenes.

可能有些人不清楚，幕後人員意思就是負責佈置影片或電視場景背景中一些有的沒的東西。

And something that always amazed me, about her is, just how happy she is.

有件有關她的事總是讓我很驚訝，就是她是個很樂觀開朗的人。

Like no matter what our external conditions were, like if we had no food, if we couldn't go to the bathroom for hours, if it was freezing cold outside and we had to do a scene forever, she was always smiling.

不論我們外在環境如何，像是如果我們沒有食物、如果我們好幾個小時不能去洗手間、如果外頭冷到爆還有拍不完的場景，她總是面帶笑容。

Even if someone was being a dick to her, she was smiling.

即使有人對她態度很差，她也會面帶笑容。

And she just radiates genuine happiness.

她就是釋放出一種真誠的快樂。

It's insane, and Linda and I have kept in touch on Facebook over the years, and randomly I was just like,

這太瘋狂了，而 Linda 跟我這些年來還是有在 Facebook 上聯絡，某天我問她，

Hey, how are you able to be so happy all the time? I mean is it like genetic, or do you do like a gratitude journal, what is it?

嘿，妳怎麼能夠總是這麼開心？我意思是，這是基因使然還是妳有在寫感恩日記之類的東西，怎麼辦到的？

Well, Anna, the best way to be happy later, is to be happy now.

嗯，Anna，妳想要在之後感到愉快的最好方法是，在當下就做個快樂的人。

Wh-What does that even mean?

妳在講什麼鬼？

It sounds like a fortune cookie, Chinese finger trap thing. Like what?

聽起來好像是幸運餅乾、中國手指陷阱這類的東西，到底是什麼？

Well, the problem is that most people, specifically young people, think that they'll be happy when:

問題是許多人，特別是年輕人，他們會感到開心的時機是：

Y'know, when I get that job, when I'm in that relationship, when I find what I'm looking for. Then, when they get it and they're not happy, they just move the goal post to later down the line.

當我得到工作、當我有伴侶、當我找到我在尋找的事物。然後，當他們得到了之後，他們又不開心了，他們只是著眼到下一個目標。

And when you get to my age, you realize if you wanna be happy later, you just have to learn how to be happy now.

當妳到了我這個年紀，妳會發現如果妳想要在晚年開心一點，妳就必須學習如何在當下感到快樂。

And I was pretty pissed at Linda. I was like, "Wow Linda, that is not what I wanted to hear. That sounds way too oversimplified to be even helpful."

那時候我真的覺得 Linda 只是在老生常談，我心想：「哇，Linda 那不是我想要聽到的。這聽起來太過簡化，甚至沒有什麼幫助。」

Like how am I supposed to be happy right now, just as things are, when the world is on fire?

就像我應該怎麼在當下感到快樂，如果現在的情況是，當整個世界陷入火海了？

Did you not see the meme, Linda?

妳沒看到那個梗圖嗎，Linda？

But the more I thought about it, the more I was like, "Y'know what? Okay fine, what do I have to lose? Besides my unhappiness? I'm gonna give it a shot."

但我對這件事更多的想法是：「好喔，我必須要拋棄什麼？除了我的不悅之外？我要來試一試。」

So for the last few months, I have been following her advise, and actively choosing to be happy in moments where I'm not.

所以過去幾個月，我試著遵循她的建議並且積極的在我不開心的時刻感到快樂。

And it sounds easy, it's not easy at all.

這聽起來很簡單，但一點都不。

It involves like really focusing hard on what I'm grateful for until that feeling is sort of evoked in me.

這包括，就像真的把注意力放在我感激的事物上，直到真的在我體內激發那種感覺。

Uhm, resisting negative thought patterns, up turning limiting beliefs, and really staying on top of what I'm allowing myself to think.

抵制消極的思考模式、增強有限的信念，並真的讓自己保持在我允許自己思考的內容上。

But the more I do it, the only slightly, tiny bit easier it gets.

但我做得越多，只有讓它變得更容易一點點。

And yeah, I still feel like a flailing can of emotions half the time, but realigning myself to be happy, gets a little bit, just a tiny bit easier, every time I do it.

沒錯，大半時間我還是覺得自己很情緒化，但將自己連結到快樂情緒中，在每一次這麼做的時候，會稍微、一點一點變得越來越簡單。

And I think Linda's advice ultimately does have merit.

我覺得 Linda 的建議最終還是有優點在。

If we are expecting happiness to come from some kind of external factor, we have it all wrong.

如果我們期望來自外在的因素使我們快樂，我們都錯了。

And if we think happiness is going to come to us in the future magically, we have it all wrong.

如果我們覺得未來我們會很神奇地感到快樂，我們也都錯了。

If we think happiness is a mindset that we actively have to cultivate moment to moment by reframing the way we see our situation and carefully curating our thoughts to serve us,

如果我們覺得快樂是一種心態上，我們必須積極地時時刻刻培養透過我們重新審視自己周遭處境，以及小心地策劃展現在我們腦海中的思想，

then unfortunately you are right, and it is a really hard habit to create and maintain.

那麼很不幸地，你是對的，但這真的是個很難培養並維持的習慣。

But, its not impossible. I'm Anna Akana, and I'm happy now.

但，不是不可能。我是 Anna Akana，我現在很開心。

Thank you to Audible for sponsoring today's video.

感謝 Audible 贊助今天的影片。

Audible's selection of audio books is unmatched, anywhere.

Audible 選擇的有聲書在所有地方都是無與倫比的。

Audio books are great for helping you, be a better you.

有聲書能夠幫助你變成更好的人。

I'v been listening to The Happiness Project by Gretchen Rubin, while I drive, do laundry, or stretch.

我曾聽過 Gretchen Rubin 的《The Happiness Project》當我在開車、洗衣服或做伸展時。

Gretchen did this year long project where she documented her journey to a happier, lighter life.

Gretchen 花了一整年的時間紀錄她邁向更快樂、更簡單的生活的旅程。

And I hate it.

而我討厭這樣的生活。

Audible members get a credit every month, that's good for any audio book, regardless of price, and unused credits roll over to the next month.

有聲書會員每個月都有信用額度，不論任何有聲書無論任何價錢，而且沒用到的信用額度可以留到下個月 。

If by chance, you start listening, and don't really like your book, you can change it, no questions asked.

如果某一天，你選了一本有聲書，但你不太喜歡你可以更換，不需任何理由。

You can get a free audio book with a thirty day free trial, at audible.com/ANNA or by texting ANNA to 500-500.

你可以有 30 天的有聲書免費試用期，去 audible.com/ANNA 看看或是發短信給 ANNA，發至 500-500。

Download a free trail and start listening, at audible.com/ANNA or text ANNA to 500-500.

下載一本免費試讀有聲書並開始聽吧，就在audible.com/ANNA或是發短信給 ANNA，發至 500-500。