What is Happiness?

Hey guys,

I decided to do a blog on happiness today, people have been striving for happiness for centuries and a lot of us seem to be lost on what it takes to be happy or even accomplish being happy because we are so caught up in thinking that in order for us to be happy we need lots of money to purchase all the things we need but even when we get these material things, we’re still not happy, the happiness fades because money is a short term solution. Even some of the richest people are not happy they have all the money they want and yet they can’t find true happiness.

Very little is needed to make a happy life, believe it or not, we have control of our happiness it is in the way we think, be positive when a negative thought arises replace it with positive ones, be grateful for all you have and what others have done for you, thank the person that has done something for you no matter how small. Research suggests saying thank you sends a signal to your brain and tells your brain that you have just received something, you automatically feel better because it has activated the reward system in your brain. I don’t want to get too scientific that’s not my area of expertise. However, your attitude and behavior towards life can have a deep impact on your happiness.

WHAT IS HAPPINESS?

People have searched and agonize what is happiness centuries ago. But what does happiness mean? Based on research happiness could have many different definitions for each of us. So it may be wise to know what happiness is not.

Happiness is not:

Feeling good all the time

Most people believe that to be happy you not to feel good all the time, that’s so far from the truth, happiness cannot exist without sadness and trials. Research has suggested that if we focus too much on trying to feel good all the time, we will actually undermine our ability to feel good at all—in other words, no amount of feeling good will be satisfying to you.

Being rich and being able to afford anything you want

Living below the poverty line certainly makes it hard to be happy, but there is no evidence that money appears to buy happiness. The only exception is when you spend your money on experiences with friends and family and spent it on weekend getaways to new and exciting places, then you might get happier. But some people rarely want to spend their money on vacations. Some may say “that money could be spent on something else.

A Final Destination

If a person works towards happiness it will “arrive” one day. It takes regular effort to maintain happiness and some people spend an entire lifetime trying to find happiness. Most established techniques for becoming happier—keeping a gratitude journal, for example—are habits, not one-shot events, and most life events that make us happy in the short-term, like getting married or being promoted, fade over time as we adapt to them.

Look at this lovely quote from Marcus Aurelius it’s one of my favorites

What IS Happiness?

Finally, research suggests that happiness is a combination of how satisfied you are with your life. Our life changes and our mood fluctuate, but our general happiness is more genetically determined. We have the ability to control how we feel and how we think and by being consistent and with lots of practice, here you can form life-long habits for a more satisfying and fulfilling life.

The most commonly used techniques for becoming happier: Keep a gratitude journal, record daily the things that you are grateful for. creating an attitude of gratitude is so important to see things from a different perspective. I’m not even talking about habits and not one-shot events, and most life events that make us happy in the short-term, like getting married or being promoted, these are short term events that fades over time as we get used to it. Be grateful for anything that someone has done for you no matter how small or simple you think it is as long as it made your day a little better, be grateful that you are alive to see another day. Forming an attitude of gratitude goes a long way. Research has shown that being grateful can actually make you discover the happiness you been looking or longing for.