| What is the definition of 'happiness?' Is it | | | | more aggrivation. So, is happiness honestly |
| material wealth filled with fancy cars, a | | | | just comprised of 'things?' |
| dream house, extravagant furs and jewelry? Or | | | | |
| is happiness simply having a roof over your | | | | Sometimes, we virtually trade our lives for |
| head? Food in the fridge? Having a child? A | | | | not only basic necessities, but for excessive |
| pet? A swimming pool? A designer Gucci bag? | | | | items and services as well. We become so |
| Parents? Grandchildren? Love? Money? The | | | | obcessed with finding happiness, that we lose |
| perfect job? Winning the Lottery? | | | | sight of the fact that happiness is within - |
| | | | always. Certainly you've heard of individuals |
| According to the American Heritage(R) | | | | trying to 'find themselves,' or 'rediscover |
| Dictionary, 'happiness' is derived from the | | | | themselves...' The reason they are attempting |
| Middle English word hap - meaning 'Luck.' But | | | | these innovative approaches is because they |
| does happiness really have anything to do | | | | are seeking inner happiness. But the point |
| with 'luck?' Based on this description, one | | | | has been missed: Happiness is already there. |
| could assume that if you avoided a fatal | | | | |
| traffic accident but got fired by coming late | | | | Disappointments and tragedies in life will |
| to work, you would be filled with | | | | come and go, but happiness never leaves you. |
| 'happiness?' Is it luck or what you make of | | | | The human's capacity to be resilient to |
| it? Maybe, 'happiness' is exactly defined by | | | | trials is unfathomable. We can lose our jobs, |
| its indirect alias: happ iness - perhaps, | | | | but be grateful for our spouses. We can lose |
| happiness is in fact defined by the fortune | | | | our homes to nature, but be thankful to be |
| that we permit to happen. | | | | alive. |
| | | | |
| Do you recall a time....ah, let's say when | | | | Spiritually speaking, there's a saying that |
| you were about 5 years old - what defined | | | | 'God only gives what one can take.' Whether |
| happiness back then? Was it getting a puppy | | | | it be God, Allah, Budah, or Jesus Christ - |
| for Christmas? Or maybe, you were a child of | | | | the basic precept remains the same: Survival. |
| divorce; and all you wanted was for Mom and | | | | We survive, we overcome, we live. And |
| Dad to get back together again? Then as you | | | | happiness is a big part of how we live. |
| got older, you were hoping that someone would | | | | You'll hear gamblers spending their last |
| ask you to the prom...that would've made your | | | | change, all the while praying to God, |
| day, maybe your life...for the moment. During | | | | '....please, God - just this one last |
| college, good grades made you happy, but it | | | | time....if I win, I'll never ask you for |
| was short-lived. Because in the real world, | | | | another thing.' And sometimes, we, ourselves |
| you had to look for a job, and competition | | | | have been in situations where we've asked for |
| was stark. It's an employer's world....you | | | | things, like, '....God, if you let me have |
| thought. But then, you got the perfect job - | | | | this job, I won't bother you again..." and we |
| now you could be happy - or could you? | | | | know that this is further from the truth. We |
| | | | ritualistically begin bartering with the |
| Life requires more than just what we want. | | | | Higher Power, or we utter constant complaints |
| Inevitably, one must understand to truly find | | | | of unhappiness and despair, because we can't |
| 'happiness,' he must make his own happiness | | | | have our ways. |
| 'happen.' Sounds a bit redundant, but | | | | |
| truthfully, there is no set guidelines that | | | | Again you see that happiness is a perception |
| will bring one happiness. There is no 'magic | | | | of each individual. We are instinctively |
| wand' we can wave to bring joy into our | | | | compelled to find fault in our lives. By |
| lives. Human nature thrives on the thrill of | | | | human nature, we begin our 'fault-finding' |
| the chase. We dream and we hope for the next | | | | mission the moment we're capable of |
| big break - it is the grand adventure of | | | | free-thinking. It is then, that we lose sense |
| living. | | | | of self-worth and the bigger picture of |
| | | | vitality altogether. Stuck in the patterns of |
| We are hopeless creatures of comfort. We like | | | | the happiness paradox, we simply cannot find |
| having and accumulating things. Whether one | | | | where our happiness has gone. |
| admits to it or not, to a certain degree, we | | | | |
| all try to keep up with 'the Jones.' We work | | | | It's not a matter of bargaining, it's not an |
| so we can pay our rents, mortgages, credit | | | | issue of money or fame - instead, happiness |
| card debts, school loans, car payments...the | | | | is what you resolve to accept. If we live |
| list goes on and on. And at some point, we | | | | through optimistic hope; if we dare to dream; |
| realize, that aside from having most of what | | | | if we empower ourselves to fully live; then |
| we want, we still aren't happy. Now since | | | | we have regained our sense of happiness. |
| we've learned to adapt to new standards which | | | | There is no in between. There is no other |
| we've created for ourselves, we find that we | | | | replacement. We only have one physical life |
| have less time, less patience, less sleep, | | | | to live - we have no choice but to make the |
| which equates to more stress, more worry and | | | | most of it. We might as well live happy. |