Happiness

Happiness is probably the most chased thing in the world. And ironically the harder we cause it the more it seems to run away. We convince ourselves that we will finally be happy after getting that promotion or buying that phone or losing kilos or graduating or meeting " the one ". Then we reach that milestonex celebrate for a few days and our brain quietly move the finish line somewhere else.

It is almost like happiness enjoys playing hide and seek. Ask people what happiness is and you will hear wildly different answer. For one person it is traveling the world. Dor another it is spending time with the family. Some fimd happiness in winning competition while others find in watering plants or watching the rain from the window. That is what makes happiness di fascinating. It has no universal shape. It changes from person to person and even from one stage of life to another.

Emotionally happiness in not endless excitement or constant laughter. It is much more quieter than that. It the feeling of contentment with life even for a brief moment. It is laughing with with your friends until your cheek hurt. Finishing a book you could read a hundred times. Hearing your favourite song unexpectedly. Saying the same word as your friend at the same time without knowing.

Philosophically happiness raises an interesting question: It is something we find or something we create?

Many ancient thinkers believed happiness was not about pleasure at all. They argued that true happiness comes form living with purpose and building meaningful relationship and becoming the best version of yourself. And modern psychology agrees.

One of the biggest myth about happiness is that successful people are always happier. In reality happiness and success often work in opposite direction. People who are generally happier tend to build stronger relationship and solve problems more effectively and recover from setbacks more effectively. Happiness is not always the reward at the end of the journey. It can also be the girl that keeps the journey going.

Now imagine a world without happiness. Birthday would be just dates. Music would become background noise. Sunsets would simply be change in the lighting. Children would stop laughing for no reason. Victories would feel empty. We would survive but survive is not the same as living.

May be happiness was never meant to be a permenent destination. May be it is the collection of small moments that reminds us life is worth experiencing. And perhaps that is enough. After all if happiness lasted forever we might stop recognising goe beautiful it is when it arrives.