Happiful Online Magazine
Dear Happiful reader,
“Can’t repeat the past? Why, of course you can!” Gatsby emphatically tells narrator Nick in the classic novel, The Great Gatsby.
It’s a heartfelt desire many of us may relate to. That desperation to recreate a moment, a memory, a feeling. We believe that if we can just return to a certain place, and retrace our steps, everything will be as it was.
Sometimes we cling to this enduring dream because of the challenges, pain, or heartbreak we’ve faced since. We hope that getting back to a place that meant so much to us will help erase all that hurt or struggle, even if only for a moment. That we’ll feel just as we did before…
But the problem is, we’re not who we were before. The people we meet, experiences we share, traumatic moments we live through, newfound insight we discover, all these things shape us. You’re not the same person.
The Welsh concept of Hiraeth captures this melancholy longing for a piece of the past that’s lost, and how heart-breaking that can be to come to terms with (p17). But for anyone stuck in this quagmire of yearning, there is a path forward, as our expert illuminates.
And for those adjusting to life-changing surgery, as detailed in our feature on p80, or coming to terms with a disability diagnosis and its ongoing impact on your life (p28), know that as arduous a journey as you are on, there are ways to feel like yourself again.
For many people, that longing or lost feeling can also relate to the paralysis of choice, where the insurmountable fear of regret versus missing out keeps you frozen in ambivalence, as in our expert-written feature exploring the quandary of motherhood for modern generations (p49).
Enjoy the new edition!
Happiful is an online and print magazine with the mission to create a healthier, happier, more sustainable society. Their aim is to provide informative, inspiring and topical stories about mental health and wellbeing. They want to break the stigma of mental health in our society, and to shine a light on the positivity and support that should be available for everyone, no matter their situation.
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