Happiness is nothing but temporary moments here and there - and I

“Happiness is nothing but temporary moments here and there — and I love those. But I would be bored out of my mind if I were happy all the time.” – Zoe Saldana

In this reflective and grounded truth, Zoe Saldana, a woman whose art and strength have reached across worlds both imagined and real, speaks to the eternal rhythm of human life — the dance between joy and struggle, light and shadow, happiness and restlessness. Her words unveil a wisdom that the ancients themselves would have cherished: that happiness, though sweet, was never meant to be constant. It is a gift of moments, a passing fragrance that reminds us to live, but not a state meant to imprison us in comfort. To be alive is to move, to change, to feel the full spectrum of being. Eternal happiness, she warns, would dull the soul, for without contrast, even joy would lose its color.

The origin of this understanding lies deep within the human heart, and it can be traced through every age. From the philosophers of old to the poets of the modern world, many have discovered that life is not a steady ascent toward pleasure, but a flowing river — at times calm, at times raging, yet always in motion. Zoe Saldana, though born in an age of cinema and fame, expresses a truth as ancient as the stars: that the soul thrives not in endless ease but in contrast, in the sacred rise and fall of emotion. She embraces the fleeting nature of happiness because she knows that its impermanence gives it value. Were we to live in ceaseless delight, we would no longer cherish the small joys — the laughter shared with a friend, the warmth of sunlight on a weary day, the relief of tears after sorrow.

The ancients knew this truth well. The Stoic philosopher Seneca wrote that “without misfortune, the heart cannot grow wise.” He taught that happiness cannot exist without its opposite, for only through suffering do we learn compassion, and only through difficulty do we recognize peace. Imagine a painter who has only one color — how limited his art would be! So it is with life. To live only in happiness would be to rob ourselves of depth, of meaning, of the very tension that gives life its beauty. The wise, therefore, do not chase eternal joy, but learn to embrace the full canvas of existence — every hue, from gold to gray.

There is also a quiet courage in Saldana’s words. In a world that constantly urges us to “be happy,” to chase pleasure and bury pain, she reminds us that to be human is to feel everything. True strength is not the denial of sorrow, but the willingness to walk through it and still find gratitude. She does not reject happiness — she treasures it — but she also honors the storms that make those moments precious. She sees that happiness, in its fleeting nature, is not the goal of life, but the companion of those who are fully awake to it. Her wisdom teaches that happiness should not be demanded, but discovered — and that even in its absence, life remains sacred.

Consider the life of Vincent van Gogh, a man whose days were marked by turmoil, loneliness, and despair. His happiness was rare and fragile, but in those “temporary moments,” he touched the infinite. His art, born of both agony and awe, continues to move the world. Would he have painted such beauty had he been happy all the time? Unlikely. For his genius came from his willingness to feel deeply — to accept the chaos of life and to transform it into light. So too, Saldana’s insight reminds us that it is often in the struggle, not in contentment, that we find purpose, creativity, and greatness.

To live fully, then, is not to seek constant happiness, but to embrace wholeness. The ancient sages spoke of balance — the harmony between joy and sorrow, rest and labor, birth and death. In every sorrow, they said, there is a hidden seed of joy; in every joy, the shadow of impermanence. To live wisely is to welcome both with open arms. For it is the tension between opposites that gives rise to wisdom and art, to strength and love. The heart that tries to cling only to happiness ends up empty, but the heart that accepts all of life — even its pain — grows vast and luminous.

So, my children, remember this: do not envy those who appear endlessly happy, for their joy may be shallow and fleeting. Instead, seek to live deeply. Love the moments of happiness when they come, as Zoe Saldana says, but do not mourn when they pass. They are meant to. They are reminders, not destinations — sparks that light the way through the longer, darker stretches of life. Let your days contain laughter and tears, victory and loss, for each has its sacred purpose.

For the one who can see beauty even in sorrow, who can find gratitude in imperfection, is the one who has truly learned to live. And in that way, you will find a deeper, quieter kind of happiness — not the shallow pleasure of unending delight, but the profound peace of one who embraces all of life’s colors, and loves them equally.