Although we live in a society obsessed with happiness, we are not sure what happiness is in life? Bombarded with smiling faces on billboards or on TV telling us their version of happiness we think, if we buy this, we will be happy. If you are successful you will be as happy as that smiling face on TV.
On top of that, we see our friends and family members on social media posting photos of their happy lives. Rarely we share raw feelings of sadness and despair on social media. One can argue that sharing negative feelings of sadness on social media is inappropriate.
What Gives Us the Most Happiness in Life?
It’s the unspoken rule of life that we all want to be happy. If you are searching for happiness and if you believe happiness is outside of you, a life of happiness will not be attainable for you.
What is Happiness?
We are always in search of what makes us happy. More than often we believe that we can buy happiness. The reality is that most of us don’t know what happiness means to us and what brings happiness to our lives.
You might think if you only had the right job, the right group of friends, the right partner, you would be happy. Many are chasing those goals in search of happiness.
Happiness is a feeling of pleasure, joy, and excitement. Good food, new clothes, walks on a beach, great sex, hot oil massages, and a lot of puppies can bring us that feeling of happiness. All of that is very well advertised or used for advertisement because these are external factors that are supposed to bring happiness to our lives.
What Can Bring You Happiness?
Can puppies and massages bring you happiness? They can bring a dash of happiness in your daily life. However, most of us are in search of long-term happiness. We are in search of the feeling of fulfillment and satisfaction in life. Reaching it is not as easy as buying new clothes and having a great meal in your favorite restaurant. The happiness that most of us look for involves a process of self-discovery and cultivating the right attitude in order to live a happy life no matter the ups and downs of everyday life and situations that we encounter.
If you could get happiness under one condition only, and that condition would be having the same life you have right now, would you do it? Your goals will not be fulfilled. You will live the same life that you are living right now but someone with magical powers would install happiness in you and you would truly live a happy life? Would you do it or would you continue chasing the goals that you believe will bring you happiness?
The way you answer this question gives you a great insight into how you perceive happiness? It also gives you an insight into how comfortable you are with your living conditions, job, friends, and relationships that you have.
Most of us think if I only had this, then I would be happy. It’s important to know here that no matter how good something makes us feel, we eventually emotionally return to where we’ve been before getting that one thing that would make us happy.
One study showed that lottery winners feel initial euphoria, but they were more likely to be unhappy 18 months later compared to those who didn’t win the lottery.
How to be Happy with Yourself?
Too often we search for happiness outside of ourselves but when you learn how to be happy with yourself, you will have an overwhelming feeling of satisfaction and joy. Yes, you won’t wake up every morning excited and enthusiastic about the day ahead of you, but you will feel a calm feeling of happiness and joy.
You might feel happy after a promotion or your wedding day, but those events won’t maintain your happiness if you are not happy with yourself. This doesn’t mean that we shouldn’t enjoy all those small and big pleasures of life. We should celebrate getting a new job and cherish every moment of your honeymoon. We only should be mindful that those feelings of emotional highs do not equal to long term happiness.
