What Is Happiness Anyway?

When you smile, where does it come from? It comes from within you

, from a feeling that was generated by something that made you feel good inside. It could have been a thought, something you did or someone else did for you, or even something you saw or heard. Every emotion we have works that way. So when it comes to what makes you happy and what doesn't make you happy, taking a look at what gives you that good feeling inside is where you will find your key to happiness. Seems easy enough, but is it really that easy?

Some people say that happiness is a choice you make.

In some ways I agree with that statement and in other ways I disagree with it.

I disagree with it because sometimes life deals us a bad hand. There are circumstances in life that we have no control over. Illness is a perfect example. If you are told your child is seriously ill, you are certainly not going to feel happy about it. In fact, the stress of such a diagnosis would most likely consume your life until you know your child is going to be okay. That's the thing about life. Unlike the theorists would have us believe, there are gray areas in life.

As for whether or not people have a choice when it comes to their job happiness, maybe that's not so cut-and-dry either. For example, you could be unhappy with your career but feel you have to stay at your job because you have a sick child and you need the income and health benefits it provides in order to get her the treatment she needs. However unhappy you might be in your job, the happiness you get from providing your child with what she needs may be what brings a sense of happiness and fulfillment to your life.

Happiness means different things to different people. Some people think having money equals happiness. Others are happy with very little money and instead find joy in living a humble life.

So instead of saying that happiness is a choice you make, I would say that happiness is based more on your values, who and what are important to you in your life, and whether or not you are living a life that is in line with who you are and what you are all about.

It is easy to look at people who have wealth, possessions, or status and think, "If I had what they had, I'd be happy." But my guess is that if you were able to switch lives with them, you'd learn very quickly that those things don't necessarily equal happiness.

I was fascinated to see Oprah talk openly about her weight issues recently. She freely stated that even though she should be so happy with herself because of all she has and all she has achieved, when she goes to her closet first thing in the morning and she can't get into her clothes because she has put on too much weight, she feels miserable.

There are many people who have wealth and a high status in this world who are completely miserable. Where do you think the term "You can't buy happiness" came from? Happiness is subjective. It's different for each and every person.

So don't look outside of yourself or to what others have or don't have in comparison to you to define happiness. Instead, pay attention to those things in your life that create that emotion deep inside of you that make you feel good about yourself and your life-the things that make you smile!

by: Catherine Trebble

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