What is happiness? It may be a question that has perplexed humankind since our first cognitive experience, but it still remains a very relevant question in our day and age. The western world generally defines happiness as the possession of money, status, or anything that we can hold onto. Happiness is a state of being that can be attained through these things but does not have to be.
"Looking for happiness " This might remind most of us of the popular movie by the award winning "Will smith". I can remember watching the movie with keen interest without understanding most of the things being said. Until recently, I was only fascinated by the scenes featuring Jaden. That aside, let's move on to today's topic...
There is a popular psychology concept called the Hedonic treadmill by Brickman and Campbell that suggests that our happiness is based on our life circumstances. It suggests that as we acquire more things and meet our needs, we don’t continue to be happy; rather, we adapt to the level at which we live and start to desire more. The concept of the hedonic treadmill suggests that one has to keep increasing their material standing to be happy. Consequently, if one doesn’t increase their material standing, they will remain unhappy. From this concept, we can deduce that happiness is not something that can be acquired; instead, it is something that one has to continually work on. It’s a state of mind that comes from within. We need to be able to talk about those things that make us happy.
Arguing that some people are born happy is a privileged form of thinking. It shows a clear lack of understanding of the social and natural world. You don't need to be rich to be happy, but it helps. It definitely helps to be less hungry, tired and ill. Research shows that once your basic needs are dealt with, money only adds an extra 1%happiness. That's pretty sad. But that's only because we've been conditioned to measure our happiness through material objects. In fact, other things in life yield far more satisfaction than materialism ever will. There's nothing wrong with wanting a few material things, but learn to define yourself by more than those objects that you own. But the most important thing about happiness is that it's not something you can get from others. Happiness is something that comes from within you not from something you can see.
This i can say, is what I have come to realize through living life a little bit more. And when I say a little bit more I mean getting over some of my fears and diving into what it is that I want out of life. When you get to this point you start to understand that happiness is not something that you can buy or get from anyone else. True happiness is something you have to work on and put a lot of thought into.
When I was a child, I used to think if I had gotten a materialistic possession, things would be easier and better, it would make me happy. I have concluded that true happiness comes from within. You should be happy with the things you have. Be thankful for all the things you have. Be grateful for even the things you don't have. Be content, grateful and humble. Rather than trying to be so attainable that you lose yourself in the process, be content with everything you have and where you are placed in life.
In conclusion, Create your own happiness. Never let your happiness be attached to anyone or any material. To be happy you need to be contented and also be flexible. When i say flexible, i mean be ready to adapt to any changes. Don't be stagnant, aspire for more and in your quest for more do not lose your happiness.
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Your title really caught my attention. I am always looking for happiness too, everyday. Because being happy makes us to relieve stress, to avoid any sadness and worries. Let us seek for happiness always, this is the best therapy for our self.