What Is Happiness and Where Do You Find It
Question – What Is Happiness, and Where Do You Find It And Why Is It Important?
post updated 06-13-24
If happiness is all around us, and within us, (as we have been told), then why do we question what is happiness and where do you find it?
Very often people seem to think that everyone but themselves is happy. They start trying to find out what happiness actually is and then want to know where to find it. When they start their pursuit of what happiness really is, they find out that it is not so easily defined.
This Post Contains:
→ What Is Happiness
→ What Is Self-Happiness
→ What We Learn About The Pursuit of Happiness
→ How Happiness Makes You Feel
→ Can You Be Happy All Of The Time
→ Are You Too Busy For Happiness
→ One Method Of Finding More Happiness
→ Happiness Comes From→ Within
→ Finding The Happiness You Deserve
→ Some Things To Ponder
→ The Necessary Truth
What is Happiness
In Psychology re: Positive Psychology – Happiness is a state of feeling or showing pleasure or contentment. It states that happiness is not a trait, but a state of feeling pleasure. It is not a permanent feeling or personality trait, it comes and goes, fluctuates in other words, or is fleeting, or changeable.
It is also described as an emotional state of feeling joy, peace, and contentment.
Self-Happiness In What Is Happiness
This is when you are satisfied with one’s self. You are pleased with your life, believe you have made good choices, and are proud of the person you have become. Some people have associated self-happiness with self-confidence, self-esteem, and other self positives.
What We Have Learned From The Pursuit of Happiness
When someone asks you; are you happy? What are your first thoughts? Many of us are not sure if our happiness is truly the finished product. As stated, happiness can not be defined so easily by most people. Many individuals are going through the motion, day end and day out. This seems to be the curse of the modern age. However, to live a good life in our “life’s journey,” you must try and make yourself as happy as possible even under the stresses that life brings.
How Happiness Makes You Feel
When you say that you are feeling happy, it may mean that you just got something that you love. Something that starts the adrenalin to flow, that feel-good moment of bliss. Is that when you are happy?
Have you ever seen the photographs of people who have won a big lottery? They look so happy. Meet them after a few years, when they have already spent all their money, and you will find the same person very unhappy. You have seen these people on the internet from time to time, expressing disdain for their irresponsible actions.
A married couple looks happy at their wedding and filled with what appears to be a common relationship. You might meet them a few years later, and they have either filed for divorce or may be in the process. You begin to wonder was it just your thinking at the wedding that they were so matched, or what was it? Was it that happiness was fake or only a reaction to circumstances.
We realize that neither of the above was anything to compare with true, down-to-earth, soul-felt happiness.
Can You Be Happy All The Time
I have seen a few people in my lifetime that appeared to take even the bad and made something positive of it. However, it seems that it is extremely difficult, in some circumstances to constantly be happy.
One of My Life Experiences: My son died on New Year’s Day, 2019. He was only 48 years old and had developed small cell lung cancer. It had spread to his brain and he decided not to get treatment.
My question to you would be, how could I be happy that my son had died at such an early age? I am sure most people would understand the disappointment, the loss, and the grief. It has been three years and almost three months, and I still cannot be happy about this situation.
However, I have learned to laugh again. I can sleep at night, and I do find consolation that he is without worry, the stresses of life, and is at peace. I know he prayed and gave his heart to Jesus.
We all have life things to conquer that we definitely cannot be happy about. So with these circumstances, it is my belief that we cannot be happy every day of our life. However, we can, in fact, remember there is someone, somewhere who has experienced these same issues and has lived to have joy and laughter again.
What Should One Do When Life Hurts
Decide to smile and feel thankful that life is as good as it is. If you learn that you have suffered a big loss in your career, lost a promotion, or your bank account has dwindled. Try to remember that it could always, almost always be worse than it is.
Sounds foolish? This can be an excellent way to live. No, not any reflections of the worst disappointment or the amount of unhappiness will ever get you the job you wanted. It definitely will not reload your bank account.
When life hits you hard, you must try to think about how to overcome those losses, whatever they are, pick up the pieces, and move forward. It is the only way to begin to build back your confidence to live a life of contentment.
“This is the time to look inside your soul, accept what has occured and be thankful it is not worse, and keep moving forward. You must!”
If you spread your wings and try to confront the obstacles of not being happy under all conditions, you will get better at mastering the bad stuff. It will give you the confidence and strength to fight against all the odds and come out as a winner.
Are You Too Busy For Happiness
Do you move through each day of your life feeling that every day is the same? For many people, it seems their life is stuck in the non-flexible status. That of work, family, preparing meals, washing clothing, grocery shopping, and then doing it all over again, and again.
The weekend is sometimes full of visiting grandparents, uncles, aunts, and the next of kin. It is easy to spot they are bored, worked to the core, and unhappy.
Where Do You Find Happiness
By changing your thoughts and perceptions about your life. Do not dwell on where you are and where you have been. Start thinking about what you have that is good, and where you are going, and start making plans on how to get there.
For life to have zest, everyone needs that natural feeling of drive, anticipation, and excitement. When one does not know how to get it naturally, one may resort to vices to stimulate that sense of being fully alive. Desperation can equate to a life of total confusion.
This is not the solution to finding happiness, however, it is something that people do.
One important equation to finding happiness is by changing your thoughts, which will inevitably change your life. You have heard this many times I am sure.
What you think about on a daily walk, will influence your life. If you are seeking happiness in the wrong way, you will definitely wind up with more problems than just being unhappy. Addictions, whatever they are, can bring destruction to your life.
One Method of Finding More Happiness
You Must Change Your Bad Habits and Renew Your Happiness
Change the unhealthy habits that are draining your contentment, joy, and love. Everyday habits without a certain amount of “you” time, “family time,” and “our time,” can hurt your health, weaken your marriage, and decrease your happiness level. Yes, a family must come first, however, to keep your family happy, you must be happy too.
“No one expects one person to lead at home, while everyone else is enjoying their happy, fulfilled life.”
When this happens, the end results will not be positive for anyone. Someone must change, re-arrange, and consider everyone else.
Happiness Is Within
You also have been told that happiness is within you… If you are unhappy because of something you desire and do not have, and cannot get, it is time to let it go. This is another way to happiness. By letting go of that of those things that may not or probably not those things that matter in life.
Suffering because you crave what you do not have or what you may not need, is not how to find everlasting happiness.
The question to answer is, are these kinds of thoughts brought about by the outside world or from within?
Some people watch their friends and neighbors. Their house is larger, their SUV is newer, they dress like a king or queen, and they dine out all of the time. They appear to be fully self-sufficient, and they give you the creeps and make you desire more.
However, when we dwell on “not having,” or envying what other people have, we create this yearning within ourselves. It is within our power to control it or release it altogether.
“Happiness is a balance between your expectations and your attainments. One way is to get what you want, the other is liking what you get.” Lord Richard Layard
There are times when most people have watched those around them, and wished for their success. It is easy to wonder how happy you could be having those “things.” The sad truth is that very often people acquire the best of the best, they think, and try to fill their void of happiness. This is what we call the illusion.
Material things pass away, they fade, get old, and then you want the newer, more efficient whatever it is. How about the latest iPhone?
These disarranged desires are nothing more than interim pleasures. It is important to realize that you do not need to have “material things,” “go places,” “build wealth,” or be like any other human to be happy. These are the necessary thoughts that you need to let go of.
Finding the Happiness You Deserve
If you want to find true meaning and happiness in life, then you’ve got to uncover your life’s purpose. Each of us has a unique destiny. A path made especially for you to walk on this journey through life. Follow it, and you arrive in what might feel like “heaven on earth.”
Ignore it, and you continue to wander… wasting time, and life itself.
Some Things To Ponder
1. You need to know what you’re made of. Your talents, strengths, and abilities.
2. Craft a vision for yourself, and visualize that dream in your mind.
3. Work out a plan that sets your goals and decide what actions you must take to achieve them.
4. Tell your closest friends about it, and commit yourself to take five of the planned actions every day to build your dream.
When you see that your actions are creating results, it will be a natural source of excitement and inspiration. Rather than spending time, energy, and money on the “life” things that do not matter, you will be investing in yourself. You will be creating success and the longing for true happiness that is waiting for you.
If you let go of your desire for temporary pleasures, you kick your bad habit out the door. By choosing to live your purpose and answer your soul’s calling, you break free from the chains of monotony and find the true meaning and happiness in life.
Just for the record...I have lived a few years clinging to a few vices that brought about temporary excitement and happiness. In the end, the excitement left, happiness left, and I had to begin, again.
“You only have one life, live it well, do not dream about what you do not have, be thankful for what you do have. Then what you have will be enough, and your happiness will follow.”
The Necessary Truth…
When you get older, you will not need the attention you once thought you needed. Your life desires will change completely. Diamond rings, the latest model car, the news gadget will not be important. Your line of clothing will not necessarily have to be Doir.
You will become more peaceful and happy if you have aligned yourself to “real” life and know what the most important things in life amount to. You will not need to check with your friends to see if they are going out to have fun. You will instead, stay home, snuggle up in something warm, and just be. You will definitely get to bed earlier, just because you can with no questions asked.
The people who feel good and happier every day, without turning to vices, have one mental characteristic in common. They have a dream, and they know what they want to achieve in life. This sense of purpose drives them and gives meaning to their existence.
They have discovered their soul’s calling, and are living life to the fullest by following it.
