Why Do I Sabotage the One Chance I Have at Happiness? - Lessons from the Gita
Riya Kumari | Jun 09, 2025, 23:38 IST
( Image credit : Freepik, Timeslife )
Alright, picture this. You’re handed your dream ticket to happiness — a shimmering golden pass to bliss-ville. But somehow, like clockwork, you manage to trip over your own two feet and fling that ticket into the trash. Why? Because self-sabotage is apparently the coolest party trick we humans have mastered.
It’s a question many of us ask in the quiet moments, when the noise fades and we face ourselves: Why do I sabotage the one chance I have at happiness? That feeling — like you’re standing at the edge of something good, but your own hand pushes it away. It’s painful, confusing, and deeply human. The Bhagavad Gita, an ancient spiritual text, offers profound insights that still resonate today. Its wisdom isn’t about complex rituals or distant philosophies but about understanding the mind’s workings — why we often act against our own well-being, even when happiness is within reach.
1. We Confuse Temporary Comfort with True Happiness
Often, what we call “happiness” is actually comfort — a familiar state, even if it’s painful or limiting. The Gita teaches us that the mind prefers the familiar over the unknown. Change is uncertain, and the fear of that uncertainty can make us cling to patterns that don’t serve us.
So, when real happiness requires stepping into new territory, we hesitate or push it away because it threatens our sense of safety. This is not weakness; it’s the mind protecting itself from unfamiliar pain or risk.
2. The Ego Resists Change Because It Wants Control
Our ego, the part of us that defines “who we are,” resists losing control. True happiness often means surrender — letting go of rigid ideas about ourselves and life. The Gita points out that ego fears vulnerability and loss of identity.
Sabotaging happiness can be the ego’s way of saying, “I’m not ready to change. I need to hold onto what I know.” Recognizing this resistance is the first step toward freeing ourselves from it.
3. Fear is the Silent Barrier to Happiness
Fear shows up in many forms: fear of failure, fear of success, fear of judgment, even fear of being truly seen. The Gita reminds us that fear clouds judgment and traps us in cycles of doubt and hesitation.
When we sabotage happiness, often it’s because deep down, fear whispers that we don’t deserve it or can’t sustain it. But fear is a feeling, not a fact. Learning to observe fear without letting it control us is a skill the Gita encourages.
4. Attachment to Outcomes Creates Suffering
One of the Gita’s most important lessons is about detachment — not indifference, but freedom from being chained to specific results. When we become attached to how happiness “should” look or when it should arrive, we set ourselves up for disappointment.
Sabotage can come from this attachment — a subtle way of protecting ourselves from unmet expectations. The paradox is that true happiness grows when we let go of trying to control everything and accept life’s flow.
5. We Forget to Listen to Our Inner Self
In the rush of life, it’s easy to drown out the quiet voice inside us — the one that knows what’s truly right. The Gita teaches the importance of self-awareness and inner listening.
Self-sabotage often happens because we are disconnected from this inner wisdom. Instead, we follow external voices — fear, ego, societal pressures — that steer us away from happiness.
Conclusion: The Path Forward
The Gita doesn’t promise that overcoming self-sabotage is easy. It acknowledges the struggle but offers a way forward: awareness, detachment, courage, and inner listening. By understanding why we push happiness away, we can begin to loosen those invisible chains.
This is not about blaming yourself but about gently uncovering the patterns that hold you back. Happiness is not just a destination but a practice — a daily choice to meet life with openness, even when fear or doubt appear. So the next time you wonder why you sabotage the chance at happiness, remember: you are not alone. The path is known. The wisdom is timeless. And within you lies the power to choose differently.
1. We Confuse Temporary Comfort with True Happiness
So, when real happiness requires stepping into new territory, we hesitate or push it away because it threatens our sense of safety. This is not weakness; it’s the mind protecting itself from unfamiliar pain or risk.
2. The Ego Resists Change Because It Wants Control
Sabotaging happiness can be the ego’s way of saying, “I’m not ready to change. I need to hold onto what I know.” Recognizing this resistance is the first step toward freeing ourselves from it.
3. Fear is the Silent Barrier to Happiness
When we sabotage happiness, often it’s because deep down, fear whispers that we don’t deserve it or can’t sustain it. But fear is a feeling, not a fact. Learning to observe fear without letting it control us is a skill the Gita encourages.
4. Attachment to Outcomes Creates Suffering
Sabotage can come from this attachment — a subtle way of protecting ourselves from unmet expectations. The paradox is that true happiness grows when we let go of trying to control everything and accept life’s flow.
5. We Forget to Listen to Our Inner Self
Self-sabotage often happens because we are disconnected from this inner wisdom. Instead, we follow external voices — fear, ego, societal pressures — that steer us away from happiness.
Conclusion: The Path Forward
This is not about blaming yourself but about gently uncovering the patterns that hold you back. Happiness is not just a destination but a practice — a daily choice to meet life with openness, even when fear or doubt appear. So the next time you wonder why you sabotage the chance at happiness, remember: you are not alone. The path is known. The wisdom is timeless. And within you lies the power to choose differently.