Are you happy?

There’s a lot said about happiness, but what we read or hear on the topic we often forget. Here is a small reminder about something you know – how to be happy.

Are you happy?

Of course, I can’t answer this question for you. And for a long time I couldn’t answer it for myself either, at least not positively. Until it came to my awareness, thanks to conversations with a few wise people and various life experiences of my own, that happiness, just like love, is something we get to define for ourselves. And because the definition depends on us, whether we have it depends on us also.

For a long time, maybe too long, I thought that to achieve happiness, I need one more thing. Or a few, depending on the situation. A better relationship, a bigger pay check, more adventures, more rest, a bigger place to live – you name it. But funny thing, the second I got it, I wouldn’t spend even a moment just being grateful and happy. I would immediately find the next hole to patch, the next big goal that would keep me running.

And sure, there is value in these goals. It’s great to strive for more – very often, it gives you a good reason to get out of bed. But skipping the gratitude part hasn’t worked for me too well. It has resulted in feeling like I’ve achieved nothing. Despite having all these great things in my life, I saw no value in them – all the value was placed on that one thing I was lacking.

It doesn’t have to be that way. Like many other topics we’ve discussed here on this blog, happiness is also a matter of focus. From my experience, focusing solely on what you don’t have makes you feel unhappy. It also puts your happiness in a position dependent from external goodies, which you won’t consistently get in life. Sometimes you get more, others – you get less. But we want happiness to be consistent, don’t we?

So far, I’ve only found one way to achieve that. Count your blessings. Wherever you are in life – at a peak or a rock bottom – think of all the things you’ve been blessed with. Starting from being alive (a lot of factors had to come together for you to be here) to having food and a roof over your head. Heck, your Internet connection is a blessing too, though we are already taking it for granted. Your family, your dearest friends, everything and everyone you love is a blessing. And the fact you have the 5 senses and the ability to move, with or without restrictions, is a blessing too.

Sure, you don’t have it all, none of us does. The important thing is – there is so much you’ve got! And it’s okay to want to add or change something. But let it be an improvement to build upon the abundance you already have, not the only thing that can make you happy.

For all you know, you are already happy. What you have is certainly more than enough to feel happy. You don’t need any specific thing to make you complete. You are already there. Whatever gifts you get as you go forward in life are just cherries on your cake. You can chase after as many or as few of those as you wish, but whether you get them in the end or not, the cake is yours to keep.

Enjoy your journey!

All the best to you, dear reader, and I sincerely hope you are happy ❤ If you want, you can check out another post about everyday happiness.