Happiness can be built. It is not too late to give up. And life is long enough.

What is happiness?
When I think about it, ultimately, I believe happiness is pleasing your brain based on your own personality and values. Some people find great joy in contributing to society or being useful to their company. For such people, finding meaning in their role within an organization or team and living by totalitarian values should work well.
However, for someone like me who is individualistic and doesn't find much meaning in living to suit others, contribution to an organization or society is not a high priority.
Instead, what is overwhelmingly more important is satisfying "individual cognition"—what I find interesting, what excites me, and what makes me lose track of time while doing it.

However, happiness is not that simple.Happiness is not straightforward.
Especially when you reach your 40s, many people fall into a "midlife crisis." It always comes for those who are early in their late 30s, and for those who are late, by their 50s. Psychologically, this "midlife crisis" is "a psychological fluctuation that forces you to rethink your way of life, values, sense of accomplishment, and hope for the future at the midpoint of your life."
Your growth curve at work slows down, your relationship with your family becomes routine, and the dreams and ambitions you held when you were young gradually fade away.
"Is it okay to stay like this?"
"Is my life going to end just like this?"
Such questions suddenly cross your mind, and you begin to doubt your life and values to their core.
This is not a sign of personal weakness.From the perspective of developmental psychology, your brain is simply throwing you a question to help you move on to the next stage.
That is precisely why you need to redefine your happiness during this period.

And, as I wrote in a previous draft, happiness is complex. It is not as simple as saying that if you have money, you are fine; if you are healthy, you are fine; if you have friends, you are fine; if you work for a good company, you are fine; or if your family gets along, you will be fulfilled.
Happiness is made up of many overlapping elements.
Even if you have money, if your health fails, your level of happiness will drop; even if you have friends, if your work is not going well, you will not be satisfied. Even if your family gets along, if you yourself are not convinced by your life, the sense of unease will not disappear.
In other words,
happiness consists of a balance of multiple elements and a sense of conviction.

Of course, you must avoid situations where your life is threatened—for example, losing your place to live, struggling to eat, or losing your health.
But once you clear those hurdles, I believe it is important to think about, design, and continue to fine-tune "happiness for yourself" on your own.
And to do that, above all else, you must keep your brain healthy.
In other words, I think it is necessary to maintain the cognitive clarity to keep thinking about "what you value and what brings you joy" without letting stress stop your thinking or being swallowed by waves of emotion.