What is Happiness after all?
I suppose, at the end of the day, it comes down to our perception of it’s significance. Whether the idea of happiness seems vital to a situation or not. You can be happy to see a friend that you haven’t seen in a while, or you can be happy to see that same friend survive cancer.
However, happiness is imperative. After all, your other options aren’t nearly as uplifting or gracious.
Humans, as a whole, have created many materialistic ideas of what happiness can be, in order to implement barriers to the opposite, detrimental sadness. But what can truly contend with the innate response of being happy?
Think about this….do you really make a conscious effort to lift your spirits when someone buys you flowers? Or when you hear your favourite song being played?
Trust me though, these innate pleasures can be stolen from you…easily…unfortunately. Depression is a real and serious condition, that is in no way “weak” or “attention seeking”. It’s when someone becomes complacent with this depression and no longer seeks to improve their mental health, using it as a crutch to their dreary and broken lives…that’s when it becomes more of a problem.
What does happiness mean to you?
Before you can answer this question…you have to truly know who it is that you are. What does your personality say about you? What are your likes and dislikes? Are you aware of the things you naturally gravitate toward? Would you say you’re an optimistic or a pessimistic person?
These questions, although generally difficult to answer truthfully, are fundamental when it comes to improving your “happiness muscles”.
The Myers Briggs personality test is by far the most competent and reliable test I’ve ever come across. It gives a detailed outline of your personality type upon completion of the questionnaire…not just addressing general character traits, but delving into career types etc. All based upon the 4 letters principle. This does not by any means limit you to what comes up on that page, but it does, however, give you a bit of a taste for your personality and their general tendencies.
http://www.humanmetrics.com/cgi-win/jtypes2.asp
In the book “emotional intelligence”, (pg.36) it explains the concept of a “meta-ability”. Basically, it means that each part of our personality builds how we react to things in life and how we use our talents specifically, including that of raw intellect. The same principle can be applied to our personalities vs. ability to be happy.
Some things to remember about happiness.
- It’s sort of like fitness – everyone is different! For some people, it takes longer, whereas others seem completely natural at it. The best thing to keep in mind is that it is attainable to everyone, and shouldn’t be a privilege denied to some.
- It’s cumulative – So…when you feel happy, you can build on that and enhance that if you make the effort to do so.
- It’s important – always. Never forget that!!
It’s been a bit of a big post..hopefully you’ve enjoyed it…I certainly enjoyed writing it!
Please leave me any comments if you have any input…
Keep smiling!!
Alice
Everything is Dandy 