Happiness

Can you truly say that you are happy?

I was talking to a good friend today and she told me that so many things in the past have made her wonder about how happy she is now... it almost seems like she has lost all hope and happiness in her life. No, this may be a little extreme but sometimes we can lose our happiness in the mundane.

Happiness. How do you really define it?

"Happiness is an emotion associated with feelings ranging from contentment and satisfaction to bliss and intense joy." - Wikipedia

"A state of well-being characterized by emotions ranging from contentment to intense joy / emotions experienced when in a state of well-being." - Princeton Wordnet

Emotions are too deep to try to comprehend, let alone define. Sure these definitions tell you the juice of what it really is.

But how do you measure happiness? In the complexity of our minds and hearts, happiness or any other emotion is immeasureable by words. Expressions can also be deceiving and allow little room to measure the intensity of the emotion.

Can you simply measure happiness through taking psychological tests? How much influence of the mind can distort the truth that we often hide? When we take tests, can we truly say that we are being totally honest? Or how often to we battle within about being honest, or even deceiving ourselves to thinking that that is exactly what we feel, when in fact, it is not true?

Even as we go about our daily lives, and a random questions surfaces asking "how happy are you?" How do you answer it? What is it that you think about that first crosses those boundaries of usually unfamiliar ground, that tweeks in the wires of questions that we seldom dare to confront.

In fact, do we dare to ask ourselves that question of how happy we are? Do we dare to face the answers that we could derive from searching our souls?

Often than not, we tend to avoid it. Going about our day-to-day, doing the same things, going about the motion of life in its purest... the metropolitan lifestyle, the career-minded, money-making machine that we are designed to advance at every turn... the robotic notion of routine... the puppetry of His truly as He introduces falls and uplifts in stages in life... Making decisions based on what is best for the future, and how we can survive, more than making self-interest choices. Not a bad thing always, but within those choices of survival tactics, where do we find happiness?

Do we do what we NEED to do, or do we do what we WANT to do? Of course, you may counter me saying, life is not always a bliss that you can anything you want to do. But self-sacrificial attitudes of happiness will not help no matter how much money you make.

"Do you think I should do this so that I can survive?"

"I need to do this because it brings in more money."

"Without money, there is nothing you can do."

The pagans will say "Money is number one."

The spiritual will say "God is number one, He is our provider." - behind it is the notion is God will provide me with the money I need to survive.

Money. A big five letter word. A word that entails so much more meaning and with it... happiness and/or depression.

Does that mean then that money equals happiness?

For the rich and famous, no. For the poor and in need of the greens, it would definitely bring more happiness into life, wouldn't it? In fact, even the rich want to get richer? Monetary and physical possessions says alot.

So while we are all trapped in this money-making-happiness scheme that the world sets us out on the moment we finish school... when or how can we say and measure what makes us happy? Or simply, are we happy?

Time to time again, I debate with myself. Trying hard to dig deep into my soul, finding the source of emotions and measuring the percentage of happiness that is stored within. Then I think about what I associate with happiness.

Does happiness come with association only? Can we be happy... just because? What do you associate happiness with? Material goods, money, success, love, family, God, simple contents in life? Which of them are more important and hold a greater weightage to the contribution of your happiness?

I look at the lives of the people around me. Not many can say they are truly happy. Sure there are things that make them happy. For example, getting a good grade, hearing someone say 'I love you', telling someone you love them, getting a new job, eating pizza hut spicy drumlets as part of your meal. Simple contents in life contribute to happiness but do they last?

Lasting happiness is what we need to strive for. The happiest people tend to be the strongest and healthiest people too. Money can make people happy. But the process of getting that money can be tedious, invasive, backstabbing, stressful and sometimes heartbreaking. And while you're at it trying to make the most money you can, neglecting everything else, JUST so you can be happier.... you forget that your body needs health, and without it, money will mean nothing. Simple: You'll be sick or dead! I check myself sometimes.

I don't always find myself feeling happy. I don't know how to measure the happiness I possess. But knowing that you do feel happy, or you feel unhappy is better than avoiding it altogether and going about life ignorant of your emotions. Because, knowing it, will help you to want to attain it. Look around you, there's alot of things to celebrate about. The very first thing is the first breath you take when you open your eyes to see the world. "

Yesterday is gone, tomorrow is a brand new day."

Find that happiness, regardless of how long it takes. True happiness is hard to come by, but at least you're aware of it. Don't be a cold-steeled machine with no emotions... we are warm-blooded flesh and blood who deserve the same happiness that God intended for us to have.

 Just random thoughts.