Help Needed (language)

Hi, guys, me again. So, I was asked to translate this blog article written by an eye doctor in China. I'm pretty sure I got his meaning right but not entirely confident about the expression, which means, I don't know if some sentences would sound weird/unnatural, or, just plainly incorrect to native speakers of English.

Could anyone kindly give it a quick browse and tell me what you think? Thank you so much! (total length: 785 words)

P.S: Especially the phrase "spring excursion" , which is sort of a traditional activity for school children in China, where they go on a class trip in springtime.



From Spring Excursion to Drowning

“On a scale of 1 to 100,” Li Run asked, “how happy do you reckon you are in your current situation?”

“98,” I answered, and it seemed to surprise him.

“That high? Really?”

His reaction surprised me, too.

“Why? Aren’t you happy?”

And that’s when he said he had asked many the same question and most of them gave a number less than 80, so he was curious as to why I flattered myself so.

Again, I was curious, too. Why would so many people think they’re not happy? So, I asked him: “What is it that makes you feel unhappy?” Well, he gave no explicit answer, only that he didn’t feel that much happiness. Suddenly it hit me. As it turns out, people believe that happiness means to feel happy every single day, which is bit of a challenge, indeed. As a matter of fact, one of the main reasons people feel unhappy is because we tend to set the bar way too high.

What, then, is the opposite of happiness? Misery? I for one believe it’s indifference.

The less people are sensitive to happiness, the harder it is for them to feel happy. While taking the Positive Psychology course, I was impressed by one idea in particular. It says that many adults nowadays pursue two types of happiness. One is named the drowning mode, in which they can only feel happy upon the moment of total relief thus have to suffer before that happens. For example, some believe they’d be happy if they become rich or find true love or succeed in the business world, and they must endure the painful process leading to such results. The other is the spring excursion mode, in which people are happy the entire time. It’s like how the announcement of a class trip in spring would send children jumping in excitement. They’d start preparing for the trip at home, filled with joy. Then, as they get on the bus, they’d chat with classmates in high spirit and would spend every second feeling happy since arriving at the destination. They’d simply be happy from start to finish. As for grownups, we seldom feel that way anymore. We went from spring excursion to drowning, all started with our receding ability to feel happy.

Thanks perhaps to my seeing too much misery firsthand through constant contacts with patients, I feel all the more grateful and satisfied for what I have.

You can’t imagine what a blessing it is to be able to see for the blind. Or, how important ten thousand yuan can be for those who can’t even afford basic healthcare. Common sense to most, for sure. Yet, as someone who have had face-to-face communication with the unfortunate, I’m always reminded that fate has been kind to me. I can see the sky whenever I open my eyes. I get to live in a house that shelter me from bad weathers. I can walk to a subway station. I have a stable job. And I’m grateful for all of those things.

I do believe that there is a connection transcending languages and action among everyone and everything in the universe. Should we choose to live with the world in a positive mindset, we’d be rewarded with positive results in return. What’s gone is gone, and who’s to say what the future holds? All I have is this moment. Try to feel a leaf’s fall from the sky, following that beautiful trajectory. Or, feel a piece of orange bursting open in your mouth, knowing that the refreshingly sweet taste is a gift from mother nature. Little things in life as such are worth appreciation and experiencing. When I learn to live like that, I’d feel a substantial happiness at any given moment.

Instead of setting up a certain goal for happiness, we can face every moment with a positive attitude, building our future with total optimism. People like that would feel happy come what may. For example, Tianci, Weiwei and their families, who feel at every instant the beauty and kindness in life. That’s what gives them hope for a seemingly hopeless future. Even till this day, when Tianci and Weiwei have gone completely blind, I’m still getting that happy optimistic vibe from them. Hence, happiness is not given but spontaneous. It is a satisfaction for one’s state of being. Learning to be content with your lot is an enlightenment. And if we try to help those who are less fortunate, the giving is in itself a reward, for through comparison we’d appreciate what we have more and within giving lies the value of our existence. Why, therefore, can’t that be considered happiness per se?