What is happiness
From time-to-time people may ask, are you happy? We may be a little cautious before blurting out an answer. What is that person’s motive for asking us that? What makes a person happy in the first place? If you take a survey of a hundred people, you would probably get fifty different or some variation in an answer. It is not as easy of a question to answer as one might think.
Happiness is derived from many factors both internal and external to an individual.
First, a person’s physical environment has a say in their determination of happy. Someone who likes warm temperatures and finds themselves working outdoors in the northeast won’t be happy. Likewise, for those who like it cooler, the desert southwest is not their ideal location in the summer.
Second, a person’s surroundings impact their determination of happy. This includes people, location, and things. In these situations, the individual would be in conflict usually internally. They cannot find solace because their values are being assaulted metaphorically.
Third, circumstances in life impact a person’s determination of happy. Things like nationality, birth order, sex, race, and wealth have an impact on the happiness determinant for some. While not a difficult concept to understand it may be difficult to see individuals going through hardships proclaim happiness. Life is not fair, bad things happen to good people and vice versa good things happen to bad people.
Fourth, politics and political affiliation play a big part in the determination of happiness. Beyond partisan political rallies, we see this play out on various news media and social media platforms. Depending on which political party controls the White House and the two houses of Congress there are individuals who are upset for years.
There are many more factors that affect a person’s determination of happy. The biggest factor is self. Self allows one to deal with the most difficult situations and see a way out when none is apparent. Self allows one to brush off the negativity and find the good. Self is always there rooting for you when everyone else has abandoned you.
If you have an opportunity to do something else, you should be happy. Your opportunity to make a change only ceases when you stop breathing. So, as long as you have breath in your body find the silver lining in those storm clouds. While some days you may not be hopping and skipping be happy and celebrate life.
What is happiness? Happiness in the hope that you have an opportunity to make a change for the better.