We're all searching for beauty, aren't we? That fleeting moment when everything aligns just perfectly, when the mundane cracks open for a brief second, and we see something we weren't supposed to see. The way sunlight filters through a window at dawn, casting golden streaks across the floor. The quiet murmur of a busy street corner at night. The way someone smiles at you like they might understand your unspoken thoughts. These moments are beautiful, aren't they? But here's the catch: they're all just distractions. A blink, a fleeting second. Gone before you can even remember what they looked like.
It's as though the universe is toying with us—letting us taste what it means to live, to feel something real, before ripping it away again. Beauty is nothing but a tease. A momentary flash of hope in a world that is anything but hopeful. And the more you chase it, the more it slips through your fingers. The more you try to catch that golden light, the more it burns your hands. The more you try to force it into your life, the more it feels unnatural, like trying to force a smile when nothing's funny.
Ever noticed how the harder you try to be happy, the more hollow it becomes? Ever caught yourself smiling in the mirror, and for a split second you can almost hear the emptiness echoing in your own mind? That's because happiness is a currency, too. Everything has a price. You can't just take beauty or joy without giving something in return, whether you want to admit it or not. The price for happiness is always something you'll pay eventually. It's not free. It's never free.
Think about it. Relationships are no different. You meet someone, you start talking, laughing, maybe even bonding over something real. For a brief moment, you're in sync. You can almost believe that this person—this real person, with all their flaws and baggage—might just get you. And for a moment, you get them. But there's always a catch. A price. Love isn't free. It's not just about spending time with someone, caring for them, and hoping they do the same for you. It's about what you give up to make it work, the compromises, the sacrifices. It's about the energy you invest, the expectations you build, and the eventual disappointment when it all doesn't work out. Relationships, no matter how genuine, have a shelf life. They'll decay just like everything else. People change, they grow apart, or worse—they stay the same, and that's when the cracks start showing.
We're all on the same clock, ticking toward the inevitable. And when you really stop and think about it, everything that feels meaningful, everything that feels beautiful, is just a transaction. You give a little of yourself, they give a little of themselves, and somewhere along the way, you both forget that you're both just playing a game. The truth is harsh: you won't always have that person around. They won't always be there to share those fleeting, beautiful moments with you. Hell, you won't always be there for them, either. One day, it'll be over. And the price you paid for that fleeting beauty will have been your time, your energy, and, eventually, your soul.
But that's life, isn't it? It's all a price. It's not about getting something for nothing. It's about giving something away to get anything at all. You can chase after beauty, you can chase after happiness, and you can chase after love—but it all comes at a cost. And sometimes, the price is too high. Sometimes, you give everything, and you're left with nothing.
But here's the catch, the sickening truth we all ignore: we're all willing to pay. Because without that price, without the chase, what's the alternative? Nothing. Without something to pursue, without something to want, we're just existing. And that's not enough. We need the illusion. We need the beauty, even if it's fleeting. We need the promise of something real, even though we know it'll never last.
So we keep paying. We keep sacrificing, because we're addicted to the chase. Addicted to the idea that if we just try harder, if we just push a little more, we'll finally catch it. We'll finally get what we're looking for. And in the end, we'll still lose it. But maybe, just maybe, that's the only way we know how to live. Without the chase, without the price, there's nothing to hold onto. And that's the most terrifying thing of all.
So yeah, chase it. Chase beauty. Chase love. Chase happiness. But remember, it comes with a price. And one day, you'll realize that you're not paying for the beauty or the love or the happiness. You're paying for the illusion that they matter.
That's the price. And you're paying it every day.