Define and Attain Happiness

~The Joker is a perfect symbol of both happiness and sadness.~

Have you ever thought about what makes you really happy? As humans, we need to be happy sometimes. We deserve to feel genuine happiness, but what is happiness? Is it a smile? A thought? Laughter? Can it be bottled or made? Defined? Extracted? Invented? Analyzed? These are tough questions to answer.

New Webster’s Dictionary defines happiness as a “feeling of joy or pleasure.” According to the dictionary, the word happiness is a noun. So in that case, is happiness a thing? If happiness is a thing, maybe we can just buy some? I think not. How does the word “feeling” come into play in that definition? The word feeling is a verb tied to an emotional state. That kind of washes up the noun right?

Another online source says “happiness is a mental or emotional state of well-being characterized by positive or pleasant emotions ranging from contentment to intense joy.” That seems like a better, still not perfect definition. Can we even define the word happiness? Maybe it’s something we just can’t explain. Maybe it is something we can only feel?

For years psychologists, biologists, philosophers, and religious groups have attempted to understand what allows us to attain happiness. Maybe this is why we have such an ambiguous definition and understanding of happiness? In my humble opinion, the study of happiness should actually be cross-discipline. I believe happiness comes from the mind, heart and spirit. There should be a Doctrine of Happiness which incorporates all three.

For about 15 years, “positive psychologists” have been striving to understand happiness. Positive psychologists believe happiness is fundamentally important, and this contemporary branch of psychology has made efforts to understand the science of happiness. The psychological theory behind positive psychology includes things like pleasure, strength and talents. These are then tied to positive experiences and relationships. These psychologists also recognize that there are two sides to every coin with regard to the human condition. Maybe harnessing negative thoughts and emotions in useful ways works best? For instance, I write what I see as some my best poetry when I am upset.

So what makes me happy? Things that feed or replenish my mind, heart, and spirit make me happy. Intellectual, intimate and spiritual connection to humans who care to connect with me brings me happiness. I like to give of myself and help others. Seeing my son and those I care about smile because of my actions makes me happy. Making others feel good, brings me feelings of warmth, purpose, and happiness.

Maybe you should think about what makes you really happy? Each of us deserves and needs to be happy. It is possible that all the dissertations in the world will never pinpoint a definition of happiness. It does include smiling, pleasure and good thoughts. If it could be extracted and bottled, I would be rich. What it comes down to is simple. Happiness is a choice. When it rains, we can be riddled with misery or we can choose to be happy even in the face of adversity. We must choose to take control and understand that we all deserve to be happy.

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