How do you define happiness? I think it’s fair to say that happiness means different things to different people. Our definition changes based on our life experiences. When we were kids we were happy that the sun was shining, we had our toys, and crayons that weren’t broken. As we get older, happiness takes more work or does it?
Merriam-Webster Dictionary definition of happiness is: feeling pleasure and enjoyment because of your life, situation, etc.: showing or causing feelings of pleasure and enjoyment. : Pleased or glad about a particular situation, event, etc.
I consider myself to be a happy person. Am I happy 24/7? No. Do
I have a bad hour or bad day? Absolutely.
Overall though, I am happy. There are many blessings in my life and those
are the things that make it easy for me to be happy. Are there things that I’d like to improve or
change? Of course – I’m human. However those things that are not “perfect”
do not define or limit my happiness. These things only fuel me to be better...do more.
I hear people say things like “When I hit my goal weight,
I’ll be happy” or “When I can fit in those jeans I’ll be happy” or “When I meet
the right person, I’ll be happy”. While
these are all happy events; why put a timeline or limitation on YOUR
happy. Maybe if you’re already happy
within, it’ll be easier for you to lose the weight because you won’t have so
much pressure on yourself to be something and then you’ll fit into those jeans. Maybe if you’re already happy within you’ll
meet that person that will only ENHANCE your happiness not create it.
True Happiness comes from within. It’s a compilation of many different feelings
and emotions. I know really HEAVY stuff, right? It’s not created from material things. Material things can bring you moments of
joy. However joy and happiness are not
the same thing. Joy is the action and
happiness is the feeling.
Merriam-Webster Dictionary definition of joy is: a: the emotion evoked by well-being, success, or good fortune or by the prospect of possessing what one desires; b: the expression or exhibition of such emotion: a state of happiness or felicity; a source or cause of delight
At times of struggle or strife, it is important to take a
step within and focus on what is truly important. It is so incredibly easy to
get caught up in the negative feelings/emotions and lose sight of all the
positive things in our lives. I find
that the toughest moments in my life have helped shape who I have become
because I may have faltered but I fought my way back out of it. We are not defined by how many times we fall…we
are defined by how many times we get back up and make the necessary changes in
our lives.
I used to hate when people would tell me Change
comes at the end of your comfort zone or If you always do what you always
did – you’ll always get what you always got.
Now when I really pay attention to those words…they couldn’t be
truer. Sorry to all my friends who are now
annoyed that I use these same phrases on you.
If you don’t make a change in your thinking…you will
always remain the same. I think back to
how many times in my life I’ve said “I CAN’T” or just a stern “NO”…how many
opportunities I may have missed out on because of the fear of failure or
embarrassment. Of course it’s “safer” to
not try new things but we were not put on this Earth to just be safe.
There are new adventures to be had. How do you know what will truly bring you the
most joy and happiness if you don’t go out in the world and experience new
things and new adventures? I spoke
about turning Fear into Fire in one of my previous blogs. If you really step out into the world and
just try something different…you might just surprise yourself. Let go of the pain you’ve felt in the past. It doesn’t serve you anymore. Take a leap of faith. You have all the power you need within you to
soar if only you just believe in yourself.
Challenge yourself.
In an earlier blog I discussed the Gratitude Jar. Maybe create yourself a Happy Happy Joy Joy
Jar. (OK, totally just aged
myself). How many of you just sang
along? Take small pieces of paper and
whenever something happens that brings you joy or makes you feel happiness,
write it down and put it in the jar. When you’re
having a tough day…pull out those pieces of paper and re-read the notes and you
will be brought back to those happy and joyful moments and the issue at hand –
won’t seem so dark.
So I will end this blog just as I started it. This isn’t something that I can define for
you but I hope I have helped you find ways to define it for yourself.
How do you define happiness?
