Happiness in an Imperfect World

In my last post, I wrote about the possibility of limitless happiness. Yet a natural question arises: how can one be happy while at the same time being deeply concerned about the state of the environment, the decline of endangered species, the violence in our communities, and the corruption in our governments?

Isn’t happiness naïve in such a world? Doesn’t empathy for suffering lead to anguish?

The paradox is real. To care deeply is to open ourselves to pain. But it does not mean we must drown in it.

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Pain Without Suffering

When we witness a forest burning or hear of another endangered species sliding closer to extinction, we feel pain because we care. That pain is a sign of compassion, not a flaw. But suffering often comes when we resist reality, or when we believe we must single-handedly fix it all.

The first step is to allow pain to inform us without letting it consume us. Pain can be a guide; suffering need not be the outcome.

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From Angst to Purpose

The weight of the world becomes lighter when empathy is channeled into action. Instead of despair, we can let our concern inspire us to:

• Educate and uplift others.

• Protect what remains of our natural heritage.

• Speak out against injustice and corruption.

Action turns angst into purpose. And purpose nourishes joy.

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Holding Two Truths

Life is never just one thing. The world is filled with cruelty and destruction. But it is also filled with wonder, beauty, and love.

The trick is to hold both truths without collapsing into either despair or denial. A sunrise, the laughter of a child, the gaze of an orangutan—all remind us that beauty persists even in dark times. Happiness grows in the soil of gratitude.

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Fierce Compassion

True compassion is not weak; it is fierce. It means:

• Feeling deeply, but not drowning.

• Acting strongly, but not hating.

• Protecting fiercely, while maintaining inner stillness.

This balance allows us to engage with the world’s pain without being broken by it.

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Inner Sanctuaries

To sustain happiness, we must create daily sanctuaries of renewal. For me, it might be a walk in the park with my wife, time spent in quiet reflection, or the joy of writing stories that connect humans with the lives of orangutans.

For you, it may be meditation, music, gardening, or time with loved ones. These practices refill the well from which compassion flows.

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A Longer View

The challenges we face—deforestation, climate change, crime, corruption—do not resolve overnight. They unfold over generations. Remembering this can free us from the urgency that breeds despair. Every action, however small, bends the arc toward healing.

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Happiness as Steadfast Ground

Ultimately, our happiness need not depend on the outcome of global struggles. It arises from living in alignment with our values. By cultivating joy within, we are not retreating from the world but strengthening our ability to serve it.

Happiness, then, is not a denial of suffering—it is the soil that allows compassion and action to flourish.

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The lesson is simple but profound:

We can be happy and deeply concerned. We can feel the pain of the world without being consumed by it. By anchoring ourselves in purpose, gratitude, and inner stillness, we sustain the happiness that allows us to keep giving, keep protecting, and keep loving—even in an imperfect world.

Limitless Happiness, Part 3: Anchoring Joy for a Lifetime

In Part 1, we began by defining limitless happiness, exploring self-knowledge, and freeing ourselves from the grip of external validation.

In Part 2, we uncovered the traps of desire, quick fixes, and comparison that can quietly pull us off course.

Now we turn to the practices that make happiness enduring—not dependent on trends, possessions, or fleeting moods, but rooted so deeply that it becomes part of who you are.

1. Purpose and Meaning as Anchors

When happiness is tethered only to personal comfort or achievement, it can feel fragile. Purpose gives it weight and direction.

Purpose doesn’t have to mean a grand, world-changing mission—it can be as simple as nurturing your family, mentoring a young person, tending a garden, or creating art that inspires. What matters is that it connects you to something larger than yourself.

Viktor Frankl, a psychiatrist and Holocaust survivor, wrote, “Those who have a ‘why’ to live, can bear with almost any ‘how.’”

When you have a why, life’s challenges don’t erase your happiness—they deepen it, because you see them as part of your larger story.

2. Mindfulness and Presence

Mindfulness is not a buzzword—it’s the art of fully inhabiting the moment you are in.

It’s the ability to savor a meal without scrolling your phone, to hear a friend’s words without rehearsing your reply, to walk outside and actually feel the air on your skin.

When you live in presence, happiness is no longer delayed until some future event. It’s woven into the ordinary now. And the beauty of this practice is that the more you cultivate it, the more life feels vivid, meaningful, and whole.

3. Resilience: The Happiness Shield

Life will throw storms at you—loss, illness, failure, change. Resilience is the skill that allows you to bend without breaking.

Resilience doesn’t mean you never feel pain; it means you don’t stay stuck there. You recover, adapt, and carry forward the wisdom the hardship taught you.

And the stronger your resilience, the more you can experience happiness not as something fragile and easily taken away, but as something that can coexist with life’s inevitable ups and downs.

The Heart of Limitless Happiness

Happiness is not a trophy to be won, a product to be purchased, or a destination to arrive at. It’s a way of being—nurtured by truth, shaped by purpose, and sustained by presence.

When you step back from the noise of consumer promises, from the pressure of comparison, and from the lure of shortcuts, you see that you were never lacking. The joy you sought “out there” has always lived “in here.”

Limitless happiness is not about adding more to your life.

It’s about removing the barriers that keep you from seeing that you already have enough to feel whole.

So, take a deep breath. Trust your path. And know this: you are free to choose happiness at every step, because it was never anyone else’s to give or take.

Limitless Happiness, Part 2: Escaping the Subtle Traps

In Part 1 of this series, we explored the foundations of limitless happiness—defining what it really means, deepening self-knowledge, and freeing ourselves from the constant need for external validation.

But even as we grow in self-awareness, we can still stumble into subtle traps that keep happiness just out of reach. These traps aren’t always obvious. Sometimes, they masquerade as motivation, opportunity, or even self-care. If we don’t recognize them, they can quietly erode our peace of mind.

Let’s look at three of the most common.

1. The Influence of Desire and Attachment

Desire is a double-edged sword. It drives innovation, art, and human progress. But when left unchecked, it can turn into attachment—where happiness becomes tethered to getting and keeping something.

We’ve all experienced it: the anticipation of a new car, the excitement of a dream vacation, or the rush of starting a relationship. But once the novelty fades, we often feel the itch for the next thing.

The Buddhist perspective is clear: desire itself isn’t the enemy—it’s clinging to the outcome that causes suffering. Limitless happiness comes from learning to appreciate without grasping, to love without the fear of losing, and to let go without resentment.

2. The Temptation of Quick Fixes

In a fast-paced world, patience is a hard sell. Everywhere we turn, someone is offering a shortcut:

- A 10-day program for instant confidence.

- A gadget that promises better health without effort.

- A “proven” system for overnight success.

Quick fixes are tempting because they bypass the discomfort of real change. But they rarely address the deeper issues. A friend once told me she bought an expensive meditation device because she “couldn’t meditate on her own.” Six months later, it sat unused on a shelf—while the stress she hoped to escape still followed her.

True growth and happiness are built, not bought. They come from consistent practice, not from skipping the work.

3. Social Comparison and FOMO

Comparison is hardwired into human psychology—we evolved to track our place in the social hierarchy. But in the age of social media, we’re not just comparing ourselves to our neighbors or coworkers. We’re comparing ourselves to carefully curated, often unrealistic highlights from hundreds or thousands of people.

FOMO—Fear of Missing Out—turns this comparison into anxiety. We see friends traveling, starting businesses, running marathons, and we wonder if we’re falling behind.

But here’s the truth: nobody is “ahead” or “behind” in life. There is no single race. Your journey is uniquely yours, and the more you honor your own pace, the less power FOMO will have over you.

Where We Go Next

In Part 3, we’ll explore how to anchor happiness in purpose, cultivate mindfulness and presence, and strengthen resilience so that no matter what life throws at you, your sense of fulfillment remains unshaken.

These aren’t just techniques—they are ways of living that make limitless happiness not just possible, but natural.

Limitless Happiness, Part 1: The First Steps Inward

We live in an age where “happiness” is marketed as a product—something to be earned, bought, or displayed. There’s always a new lifestyle upgrade, personal development hack, or exotic retreat that promises to unlock joy. And yet, despite the abundance of tools and opportunities, many people report feeling more anxious, more restless, and less fulfilled than ever.

This is because lasting happiness—what I call limitless happiness—isn’t something you acquire. It’s something you cultivate. It begins not with buying, achieving, or chasing, but with understanding.

In this three-part series, we’ll explore the foundations of limitless happiness, starting with three crucial steps: defining what it truly means, learning who you are, and seeing through the trap of external validation.

1. Defining “Limitless Happiness”

Before we can find it, we need to understand what we’re looking for.

Happiness is often confused with pleasure, excitement, or comfort. These can be part of it, but they are fleeting—more like sparks than a steady flame. Limitless happiness is less about constant joy and more about removing the artificial ceilings we place on our well-being: fear, self-doubt, and the belief that we can only be happy if certain conditions are met.

For example, think of someone who says, “I’ll be happy when I get the promotion.” They might feel a rush when it happens, but before long, the mind sets a new condition—more money, a bigger house, a different relationship. Limitless happiness comes when joy is no longer conditional.

2. The Role of Self-Knowledge

The first step toward unconditional happiness is knowing yourself deeply.

This isn’t just about personality quizzes or a weekend of soul-searching—it’s an ongoing process of noticing what truly energizes you, what drains you, and what values guide your choices. Journaling, meditation, and quiet walks without your phone are all simple ways to start listening to yourself.

A friend of mine once left a high-paying corporate job for a modest position at a community garden. On paper, it made no sense. But she had realized through years of self-reflection that she valued connection to nature, creativity, and calm over prestige. She traded her “dream job” for a dream life.

3. The Trap of External Validation

Once you start to understand yourself, you’ll notice how much of your life may have been shaped by outside approval.

From social media likes to family expectations, external validation is everywhere. It’s not inherently bad to enjoy recognition—it can be motivating—but if your sense of worth depends on it, you become trapped.

Consider how often advertising plays on this vulnerability:

-Beauty products promise confidence.

-Luxury brands promise status.

-Tech gadgets promise connection.

The unspoken message is, “Without this, you’re not enough.” Breaking free from that message is liberating—and essential to finding happiness that doesn’t disappear the moment the applause stops.

Where We Go Next

In Part 2, we’ll go deeper into the emotional and philosophical terrain that shapes happiness. We’ll explore The Influence of Desire and Attachment, The Temptation of Quick Fixes, and Social Comparison and FOMO—and how to navigate them without losing your center.

Happiness is not found in the next purchase or achievement. It’s found in the quiet recognition that you already hold the keys—you just have to learn where you’ve hidden them.

Fever Dreams in Surabaya: Thoughts in a Whirlpool

It began with a scratchy throat and a heaviness in my head. By evening in my wife’s brother’s home in Surabaya, the fever had settled in like an unwelcome guest. A home test confirmed what I suspected—COVID had found me.

Plans for the next three days—meetings, phone calls, quiet writing—dissolved into the slow motion of illness. I spent hours stretched out isolated from the others, the sounds of the household drifting in from other rooms, the world narrowed to the whir of the AC and the restless churn of my own thoughts.

And churn they did. Ideas and memories circled endlessly, like leaves caught in a whirlpool—sometimes colliding, sometimes spinning apart, occasionally joining in strange combinations. Conservation strategies I’d been mulling for months brushed up against flashes from old expeditions. A scene for my next book tangled with a memory of an orangutan pausing mid-climb to look down at me with quiet curiosity. The whirlpool carried everything—trivial details, grand ideas, and scraps of unfinished plans—around and around, as if waiting for something to settle.

Somewhere in the haze, my mind landed on Alfred Russel Wallace, the British naturalist who, while in the Malay Archipelago, was also laid low by a tropical fever—malaria, in his case. He wasn’t in Surabaya, but on another island called Ternate in what is now Indonesia, and in that delirium he pieced together one of biology’s most powerful ideas: the theory of natural selection.

I couldn’t help but wonder—was it the fever that loosened the threads in his thinking, allowing new patterns to emerge? Did the altered state strip away the usual constraints, letting disparate observations weave into something entirely new?

In my own much smaller way, I recognized the same strange unlocking. The fever had softened the usual walls between ideas, letting them eddy and mingle in ways they might not have under clearer conditions.

By the time the fever broke, the whirlpool began to slow, its contents drifting back into familiar channels. But a few thoughts remained suspended—bright, unanchored, and ready to be explored. Illness had been the price, but clarity, in its odd fever-born way, had been the gift.

A Letter to the Future

I recently read a "letter to the future" composed by Mongabay's  Rhett Butler as a forward to an art exhibition. I was so impressed by this means of expressing an eco-testament, I crafted my own reflective narrative. As they say, imitation is the most sincerest form of flattery.

Dear Future Guardians of Earth,

If you’re reading this decades from now, it means there is still breath in the forest… and perhaps, a glimmer of hope still rustles in the canopy.

My name is Dr. Gary Shapiro, aka Orangutan Dad. Nearly half a century ago, I knelt in the leaf litter of Borneo’s ancient rainforest and looked into the eyes of a young orangutan named Princess.  She met my gaze with curiosity, gentleness, love, and—if you’ll allow an old scientist a touch of poetry—a connection of ancient family and a wisdom that felt older than the forest itself.

That moment changed my life.

It’s what compelled me to dedicate my life to understanding and protecting these “people of the forest.” Orangutans, to me, are not just animals—they are fellow travelers on this fragile planet. Intelligent, yes, but also contemplative. Patient. Capable of empathy, thought, and resilience. They showed me that intelligence wears many forms, not all of them human.

I write this letter from a world that is, I fear, still learning that lesson.

Too many forests have fallen. Too many rivers have been poisoned. Too many species have been pushed to the edge for profit and convenience. But despite the odds, we’ve also witnessed the power of small actions—of communities rising to protect what they love, of students in Indonesia becoming scientists and stewards, of donors and dreamers uniting to save what they can. I have seen it in the faces of the young conservationists who received the Orangutan Caring Scholarship, many of whom now carry the torch I once held.

If this letter has reached you, it means something remained. Perhaps even something thrived.

Maybe you walk through a forest where orangutans still build their nests high in the trees. Maybe you sit beside your children and tell stories of how people came together—not perfectly, not quickly—but with heart, with wisdom, and with enough courage to matter.

I hope you live in a world that values silence as much as speed, wonder as much as wealth. I hope you’ve learned from the orangutan’s quiet strength—their ability to adapt, to think, to nurture with patience. And I hope you continue to fight for the voiceless—not because it's easy, but because it's right.

The future was never promised. But I believed it could be earned.

With care and conviction,

Gary L. Shapiro, Ph.D.

President, Orang Utan Republik Foundation

Field Researcher, Educator, and Friend of the Forest

Borneo & Sumatra, Earth—circa the 20th–21st century

Two Decades of Hope: Celebrating the 2025 Orangutan Caring Scholarship Award Ceremonies

This summer during the month of July, I had the privilege of traveling across Sumatra and Borneo to witness something extraordinary—young minds stepping boldly into their futures, fueled by education, compassion, and a shared vision to protect Indonesia’s natural heritage. The 2025 Orangutan Caring Scholarship (OCS) award ceremonies were not only a series of events; they were a celebration of resilience, progress, and promise.

As we marked the 20th anniversary of the program, I felt an overwhelming sense of pride—not just in the scholars we’ve supported, but in the network of educators, conservationists, students, and donors who have made this vision possible.

From Banda Aceh to Palangka Raya, Pontianak to Samarinda, each ceremony carried its own flavor, shaped by local cultures, university traditions, and the stories of the students who walked across the stage. But across all of them, a common thread ran strong: the belief that education is the most powerful tool we have to protect our forests and the species who call them home—including the endangered orangutan.

At each stop, I had the honor of speaking to the students—some wide-eyed and just beginning their journey, others preparing to graduate and enter the field as conservation professionals. I shared insights about orangutan biology and behavior, and why their survival is intricately linked to the people of Indonesia. But I also listened. I listened to stories of hardship and perseverance, of academic passion and personal transformation. These students are not just recipients of a scholarship—they are future leaders in conservation science, environmental advocacy, and community education.

In Pontianak, the Faculty of Forestry at Tanjungpura University warmly welcomed our team with incredible hospitality and a deep sense of shared purpose. Their enthusiasm and encouragement for the students was inspiring. Their message was clear: the future of Indonesia’s forests depends on education and collaboration, and they are proud to stand beside us in this mission. I extend my heartfelt gratitude to the Deans, Professors, and staff who have supported the Orangutan Caring Scholarship program year after year.

A special acknowledgment must be made to Yayasan Palung, our dedicated partner in West Kalimantan, whose team has worked tirelessly since 2012 to implement the scholarship program with professionalism and heart. Their commitment to mentoring students and fostering conservation awareness in the region has played a pivotal role in shaping the next generation of Indonesian conservationists. I am deeply grateful to their leadership and field teams for their continued trust and partnership.

We also owe an enduring debt of gratitude to the Orangutan Information Center (OIC), our first on-the-ground implementation partner, who helped launch the OCS program in 2006 in North Sumatra. Their pioneering work, dedication to youth empowerment, and belief in the scholarship model laid the foundation for everything that followed. Without their early support and vision, this 20-year milestone would not have been possible.

Finally, in Samarinda, the warm and gracious support from the Faculty of Mathematics and Natural Sciences at Mulawarman University provided a meaningful capstone to this year’s ceremonies. To the deans and professors who took the time to join us, share in our celebration, and lend their wisdom and encouragement to our students—I offer my heartfelt thanks. Their presence reaffirmed the university's commitment to developing the next generation of scientific leaders and conservation advocates in East Kalimantan.

There were moments of laughter—like watching a student karate demonstration before a ceremony at the University of Palangka Raya—and moments of solemn gratitude—like presenting copies of Out of the Cage to university libraries that have stood by this mission for years. Each gesture, each interaction, underscored how the OCS program has become more than just a scholarship—it’s become a movement of hope.

To everyone who has supported this program—from donors large and small, to our partners at The Orangutan Project, to Indonesian business leaders beginning to join our cause—I say thank you. Your investment has already transformed over 300 students’ lives. And as we look toward the future, I am more determined than ever to ensure this program continues to grow, evolve, and inspire.

In the faces of the OCS scholars, I see the future of conservation in Indonesia. I see guardians of the forest, voices for the voiceless, and champions of a more sustainable world.

Together, we are making a difference. Together, we are planting seeds of change that will bear fruit for generations to come.

With pride and admiration,

Dr. Gary L. Shapiro

Founder, Orangutan Caring Scholarship Program

President, Orang Utan Republik Foundation