My ultimate goal is to end up being happy. Most of the time.

The words of Taylor Swift—“My ultimate goal is to end up being happy. Most of the time.”—speak with disarming honesty, cloaked in simplicity yet bearing profound wisdom. In them we hear not the promise of eternal bliss, but the humble recognition that happiness, like the sun, rises and sets, appearing and retreating with the rhythm of life. Swift does not dream of perpetual joy, for such a dream is an illusion. Instead, she seeks a steady harbor of contentment, knowing that even in the storms of sorrow, the light of happiness can return and endure “most of the time.”

The ancients knew well this balance. The Stoics, from Epictetus to Seneca, taught that one must not expect constant joy, for sorrow and hardship are companions of mortal life. Yet they counseled that wisdom and virtue make happiness possible more often than not, by aligning one’s heart with what is within one’s control. Thus, Swift’s words echo an ancient truth: the goal is not unbroken happiness, but a life where happiness is the prevailing note in the music of our days.

History offers us many examples of this tempered pursuit. Consider Abraham Lincoln, who bore the weight of civil war and personal tragedy. His life was marked by melancholy, yet he sought purpose and meaning that gave him strength. In moments of triumph, his laughter rang true, and in moments of sorrow, he held fast to hope. Though he did not live in unceasing joy, his life was aimed toward the light, and his happiness—when it came—was genuine, born from perseverance. His story reminds us that to be happy most of the time is not weakness, but triumph.

So too in the realm of art, we see this truth in the life of Vincent van Gogh. His days were filled with turbulence and despair, yet in his painting he found glimpses of joy that transcended his suffering. His sunflowers, his starry skies—these were moments of happiness captured on canvas, radiant with the beauty he perceived even through anguish. He was not happy always, but in the flashes when happiness did visit him, it burned with a brilliance that still illuminates the world today.

Beloved listener, Swift’s words call us to humility and honesty in our pursuit of joy. Do not demand of life a happiness without end, for such a demand will break your heart. Instead, shape your life so that happiness visits you often, like a friend who may leave but always returns. Nurture relationships, passions, and values that invite joy to dwell with you, and accept that sorrow too has its place in teaching you the depth of your own heart.

Practical wisdom follows: do not measure your worth by constant bliss, but by how often you return to it after hardship. When sorrow comes, endure it with patience, knowing it is not forever. When joy comes, cherish it deeply, savoring it without fear of its passing. Seek balance in your daily choices—rest when you are weary, create when you are inspired, love even when it risks pain. In this way, you weave a life where happiness is not an unattainable crown, but a faithful companion “most of the time.”

So let Taylor Swift’s words be your guide: “My ultimate goal is to end up being happy. Most of the time.” Take them as both compass and comfort. Aim for joy, yet accept the shadows; seek the sun, yet endure the night. For in doing so, you will find not the fragile happiness of fantasy, but the enduring, human happiness that sustains a life of meaning, courage, and love.