In what seemed like an impossible attempt to define happiness, I set forward a simple question amongst friends and family.
"What does happiness mean to you?"
Their answers were quite exceptional, as each individual’s response was distinctive and personal. I was, however, in disbelief when I then asked, "Are you happy?"
"Happiness is when I have nothing to worry about, even if it is just for two minutes. No, I am not happy, but I try to be. I think I am only happy when I want to be, and sometimes, it's done for comfort."
"Feeling good enough about one thing to make you ignore the rest. No, I'm never happy because I think happiness has been categorized as an overall feeling and I'm never, overall, satisfied."
"When the people I love are happy, when love strikes you when you least expect it and you receive the same kind of love in return, when the simplest thing like hearing his name makes you smile. Yes, I am happy, because although there may be the day-to-day problems and obstacles I am faced with throughout my life, I know that with hope and faith those obstacles will be overcome with the happiness I am yet to see."
"One will never be happy if they continue to search what happiness consists of. Happiness to me is when you love someone and you are loved back. That is true happiness. Although I find happiness in a lot of things; a simple smile, waking up knowing I have the health to go on another day. Life consists of many moments of happiness, but you should never look for it - it will find you and consider yourself blessed to have happiness in your pure heart, with a loved one, with family or a sibling. Currently, I am happy. Reason to why is because all that I listed that are considered the happiness I have, therefore I consider myself happy."
"Happiness is a concept that is defined by a given individual. To define happiness properly, I would say that you would need to break it down into several subcategories: Work, Life, Romance, etc. To me, happiness is composed of having a good family - parents, brothers/sisters, and wife/husband. Happiness is realized when one realizes and appreciates the things that they have in their lives and not concentrate on the things that they do not have. This is a great mental shift which I don't think many people are prepared for. To realize that you do not need to have a luxury car to make you happy, that you do not have to make millions of dollars to make you happy. Happiness comes from the smaller things in life which are not seen and appreciated by most. For instance, human nature is such that we set goals for ourselves, but sometimes the goals we set forward are not realistic, or are too much to handle. When we fail to meet these goals, we get frustrated and it affects our happiness. We should learn from our mistakes, adjust our goals, and maybe be a little more realistic, so that next time, we have a better chance at succeeding and getting closer to our happiness. So to be truly happy, you need to be realistic in your life."
Others mentioned happiness to them is unexplainable; however, it is what makes them feel secure. Happiness provokes your outer being, but revokes your inner self. Another individual suggested happiness is peace of mind; yet they could not find themselves to be happy because happiness to them felt temporary. Good events in their life have seemed to come and go quickly, leaving them feeling the emotion for a short while.
Happiness is an emotional state that is characterized by feelings of enjoyment and satisfaction. It has been pursued by us all, yet we place an importance on the emotion, and allow ourselves to lose focus of its true meaning. To understand what true happiness is, we must realize happiness is a matter of experience. You should not search for happiness, and look for it in materialistic objects. We must realize happiness lies within our heart and soul. The definition of happiness varies amongst the individual, as we all have our own standards and understandings. One man's trash is another man's treasure. One man's pain is another man's pleasure. Regardless of what happiness means to you, we should remember to always be grateful for what we have. Happiness is not to be possessed, it is to be enjoyed and experienced.
In a series by Phillip Jose Farmer, titled "Riverworld", we learn about a man who has obtained the homes of resurectors. In that homestead, he lives alongside mosquitoes, heat and humidity. However, at the end of the day, he is able to retreat to his air-conditioned house. When asked why he would have such pests and uncomfortable conditions around him, in a world he is able to control, his answer was profound. He explains if we do not know what misery is, how can we tell what Eden is? To be surrounded by the things we hate, and then resorting to a house you can call your own, makes you truly realize happiness. According to the man, happiness is escaping misery. It is not a person, place or thing. We cannot appreciate it, or understand it, until we know what the exact opposite is.
I never thought I would understand what true happiness meant. For some reason, I was never completely happy with my life. I let certain things in my life hold me down and keep me away from being positive. Growing older, I have realized how fortunate I really am. I have started appreciating life and looking at it in a different perspective. What once used to keep me from being happy is now looked at as the opposite. I let the happiness in my life empower the negative. So, what does happiness mean to me? I have already made it clear happiness is an experience we cannot describe, as it has a different meaning to us all. However, to me, it is the thought of no worries. Happiness is what helps you get through your day and motivates you to keep smiling, even though not everything in life is perfect. Happiness means being around my loved ones, and seeing them experience the same indescribable emotion. Happiness lets you not care about the minor setbacks in your life, and helps you appreciate everything that is pure. It helps you open your eyes to what is good in your life, instead of focusing on what's bad.
The question still stands, "Am I happy?"
Saying I am happy with my life would be an understatement. I could not ask for more, as I have the perfect family and a wonderful girlfriend. I always keep my head up high and hope for a bright future, because I believe in myself and know I can achieve what I put my mind to. If I was to think negative and be unappreciative of the things in my life, I would never experience the joys of happiness. For those who wish to finally smile, they need to realize they must set realistic goals for themselves, as one of our answers above read. We must always smile and keep hope alive, for anything in life is possible, even reaching true happiness.
I would like to thank those who shared their views and helped me piece together this journal.
"What does happiness mean to you?"
Their answers were quite exceptional, as each individual’s response was distinctive and personal. I was, however, in disbelief when I then asked, "Are you happy?"
"Happiness is when I have nothing to worry about, even if it is just for two minutes. No, I am not happy, but I try to be. I think I am only happy when I want to be, and sometimes, it's done for comfort."
"Feeling good enough about one thing to make you ignore the rest. No, I'm never happy because I think happiness has been categorized as an overall feeling and I'm never, overall, satisfied."
"When the people I love are happy, when love strikes you when you least expect it and you receive the same kind of love in return, when the simplest thing like hearing his name makes you smile. Yes, I am happy, because although there may be the day-to-day problems and obstacles I am faced with throughout my life, I know that with hope and faith those obstacles will be overcome with the happiness I am yet to see."
"One will never be happy if they continue to search what happiness consists of. Happiness to me is when you love someone and you are loved back. That is true happiness. Although I find happiness in a lot of things; a simple smile, waking up knowing I have the health to go on another day. Life consists of many moments of happiness, but you should never look for it - it will find you and consider yourself blessed to have happiness in your pure heart, with a loved one, with family or a sibling. Currently, I am happy. Reason to why is because all that I listed that are considered the happiness I have, therefore I consider myself happy."
"Happiness is a concept that is defined by a given individual. To define happiness properly, I would say that you would need to break it down into several subcategories: Work, Life, Romance, etc. To me, happiness is composed of having a good family - parents, brothers/sisters, and wife/husband. Happiness is realized when one realizes and appreciates the things that they have in their lives and not concentrate on the things that they do not have. This is a great mental shift which I don't think many people are prepared for. To realize that you do not need to have a luxury car to make you happy, that you do not have to make millions of dollars to make you happy. Happiness comes from the smaller things in life which are not seen and appreciated by most. For instance, human nature is such that we set goals for ourselves, but sometimes the goals we set forward are not realistic, or are too much to handle. When we fail to meet these goals, we get frustrated and it affects our happiness. We should learn from our mistakes, adjust our goals, and maybe be a little more realistic, so that next time, we have a better chance at succeeding and getting closer to our happiness. So to be truly happy, you need to be realistic in your life."
Others mentioned happiness to them is unexplainable; however, it is what makes them feel secure. Happiness provokes your outer being, but revokes your inner self. Another individual suggested happiness is peace of mind; yet they could not find themselves to be happy because happiness to them felt temporary. Good events in their life have seemed to come and go quickly, leaving them feeling the emotion for a short while.
Happiness is an emotional state that is characterized by feelings of enjoyment and satisfaction. It has been pursued by us all, yet we place an importance on the emotion, and allow ourselves to lose focus of its true meaning. To understand what true happiness is, we must realize happiness is a matter of experience. You should not search for happiness, and look for it in materialistic objects. We must realize happiness lies within our heart and soul. The definition of happiness varies amongst the individual, as we all have our own standards and understandings. One man's trash is another man's treasure. One man's pain is another man's pleasure. Regardless of what happiness means to you, we should remember to always be grateful for what we have. Happiness is not to be possessed, it is to be enjoyed and experienced.
In a series by Phillip Jose Farmer, titled "Riverworld", we learn about a man who has obtained the homes of resurectors. In that homestead, he lives alongside mosquitoes, heat and humidity. However, at the end of the day, he is able to retreat to his air-conditioned house. When asked why he would have such pests and uncomfortable conditions around him, in a world he is able to control, his answer was profound. He explains if we do not know what misery is, how can we tell what Eden is? To be surrounded by the things we hate, and then resorting to a house you can call your own, makes you truly realize happiness. According to the man, happiness is escaping misery. It is not a person, place or thing. We cannot appreciate it, or understand it, until we know what the exact opposite is.
I never thought I would understand what true happiness meant. For some reason, I was never completely happy with my life. I let certain things in my life hold me down and keep me away from being positive. Growing older, I have realized how fortunate I really am. I have started appreciating life and looking at it in a different perspective. What once used to keep me from being happy is now looked at as the opposite. I let the happiness in my life empower the negative. So, what does happiness mean to me? I have already made it clear happiness is an experience we cannot describe, as it has a different meaning to us all. However, to me, it is the thought of no worries. Happiness is what helps you get through your day and motivates you to keep smiling, even though not everything in life is perfect. Happiness means being around my loved ones, and seeing them experience the same indescribable emotion. Happiness lets you not care about the minor setbacks in your life, and helps you appreciate everything that is pure. It helps you open your eyes to what is good in your life, instead of focusing on what's bad.
The question still stands, "Am I happy?"
Saying I am happy with my life would be an understatement. I could not ask for more, as I have the perfect family and a wonderful girlfriend. I always keep my head up high and hope for a bright future, because I believe in myself and know I can achieve what I put my mind to. If I was to think negative and be unappreciative of the things in my life, I would never experience the joys of happiness. For those who wish to finally smile, they need to realize they must set realistic goals for themselves, as one of our answers above read. We must always smile and keep hope alive, for anything in life is possible, even reaching true happiness.
I would like to thank those who shared their views and helped me piece together this journal.
