Themes What Makes Us Happy?

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• isabel robles – May 11 2008

  simply put: happiness is fulfillment. know who you are and do what's natural

• Chris Williams – May 3 2008

  Happiness is not an external state, but is the awareness of the present moment and the practice of nonresistance, nonjudgemental and nonattachment. Once we observe our compulsive thinking and mental stories as an outsider we are able to let go of fear, anxiety and anger. It is not a instant process but is a continuous process which can be practiced

• Douglas Campbell – April 6 2008

  Happiness begins with and depends on a sense of self-worth -- of being capable, useful, and deserving of happiness. It is encouraged by tolerance, acceptance, and recognition. It is strengthened by aligning one's conditions (personal, environmental, social, economic) with one's disposition and expectations. It is enriched by the availability and exercise of choice, and by engaging with the world around us (locally or globally), whether through curiosity, interaction with others, or the pursuit of meaningful activities and goals. And, per Kingwell, it is reinforced -- and can sometimes be salvaged by -- the construction of a satisfactory narrative for one's experience.
  
  Though quirks of circumstance and biochemistry may alter how we "feel," our sense of who we are, and our perceptions of what we can do (sometimes in radical and crippling ways), such that happiness seems to come more easily to some than to others, most of the aforementioned factors are variables we can influence favourbly over time.

• Jesse Teshara – March 29 2008

  There are 3 components, or aspects, in my opinion: 1)absence of suffering. 2)contentment, satisfaction, wellbeing, and 3)stimulation. For more, read my blog post on happiness: http://jesseteshara.blogspot.com/2008/03/bliss-nirvana-happiness.html. You can also just stop at the .com and and select the post on happiness. Om...lol.

• Jillian Rees – March 25 2008

  To lead a happy life we need to strive to fulfil our potential in being as useful as possible. I am a consultant for sustainable education as well as a Buddhist on www.jillrees.com and try to help developing communities start up education projects in a sustainable way. This work brings me much happiness.

• Sam C – March 24 2008

  The human soul is so much bigger than what our mind or body can grasp.

• Frank Alec – February 28 2008

  Happiness maybe SEEING, HEARING, FEELING or a combination of all, or one of the three. Also happiness maybe one's surroundings that pleases your sight, hearing, or feelings. Happiness is your human body working to the best it can. Breathing is happy.

• Paul Dobransky, M.D. – February 18 2008

  Masochists seek to increase pain, so "the states most sought out" does not define happiness.
  
  The definition I have come up with in direct practice and application of theory is - happiness = well-being + confidence, the "E=mc2 of Psychology"(tm)

• Shveitta S – December 7 2007

  Sorry, for this extremely long post, but some great definitions from people.Webster's and Oxford dictionary describe the wordhappiness as a state of feeling great pleasure, andcontentment. Someone who is happy is said to befavored by circumstances; is lucky; fortunate etc.The thesaurus uses words like pleasure; gratification; enjoyment; fruition, oblectation ;relish; zest; gusto; well being; joy; gladness; enchantment; rapture; ecstasy; heaven; honeymoon!!!;palmy days and so on to describe this word happiness.What does it really mean? I sent out a survey to findout what it meant to real people. Everyone knows whatit means and everyone wants it and yet is stillsearching. Following are the reply's I received to date- uneditedversion ( Thank you very much for taking the time.)Success is getting what you want, happiness is wantingwhat you get... (James L)Ok happiness is....wow,this isnt as easy as ithought....umm happiness is - being alive in everysense...looking forward to tomorrow....the balancebetween being content with what you have,yet aspiringfor more,knowing you can achieve it....being at peace,without being bored....making a positive difference inother peoples lives....learning something neweveryday....having very few regrets....ranges from theabstract to more materialistic - a perfect fittingdress included....colors...and music.... (Venu)In a nutshell, they all say the same thing: happinessis not about what happens to you; it's about yourattitude to what happens to you. So for me, truehappiness means choosing to be at peace and to feellove and joy, regardless of what happens "out there".(Though I can't say I'm always successful at puttingthat into practice.) Stroking a purring cat helps too!(Kay)I just read an interesting book called 'Happiness. Aguide to developing life's most important skill' by aFrench guy, Matthieu Ricard, a former scientist who isnow a Buddhist monk, I think in Nepal. The bookbasically shows that true happiness can not be foundin circumstances but just within oneself and thathappiness is not just an emotion but a skill that canbe learned. I thought it was a really good read.(Claudia). I am a little conflicted by the term 'bottledhappiness'.. .on the one hand it brings visions of effervescence, like champagne..bubbling , fragrantwith a hint of tartness. On the other, it makes itseem formulaic, restricted and capable of beingcaptured. I don't really agree with the latter.Personally, I believe that happiness can only bedefined retrospectively (you only realize how happyyou were once the moment has passed), relatively(research says we all have a defined threshold ofhappiness beyond which we return to what ispredetermined) and depends on others to a large extent( when you bring happiness to others you feelhappy)...but most of all I believe, happiness is avery individual emotional response to life, everybodyexperiences it at sometime or the other to a widerange of stimuli. The challenge, then, would not onlybe to find what happiness is but how to sustain itonce you've felt it! (Jyoti)Happiness -, for me is giving with no expectation ofreceiving, it beats all definition: 'Happiness is justis', like me 'I just am'. But if one must find aningredient: Contentment. Hope all who are seeking itfind it. ( Leela)What an interesting subject, I won't be a good writeron this subject , as I'm' not a writer, I just drawand paint. If I had to paint about happiness, it would be with strong colours, red , yellow,with light andsunshine, rounds and circles as women's love, lettersand smiles for joy and happy words for good feelingsto share.( Caroline )As for me, I think happiness is loving and being lovedback – by my family, my friends and my dog! And a gooddebate amongst friends…(Sarah)Happiness just is. Like a dog's tail, the more youchase it, the more elusive it becomes. I feelsurrender brings about happiness & the ingredientcertainly would be contentment. (Pooja). I think people confuse security with happiness. I am happiest when I am working, or even arguing. (Susan)The Bhagawad Geeta says" HAPPINESS IS PEACE; PEACE ISHAPPINESS. In tranquillity all sorrows are destroyed,we find peace thereforth comes HAPPINESS. (Sundari)'Happiness is wanting what you have in your life,right now...' (Deepam)Happiness is very broad and abstract a term. My viewis that happiness is a state of being, not somethinginstant. It is something that has duration, I can sayI am happy right now but this is the result of afeeling that I am in for quite a long time now andmost probably will continue to be so for a while, Idon't think it is an instant thing, for me at least.Having said that, yes something can make you feelhappy or elated, be it meeting an old friend or buyingsomething you like etc etc, in that sense you can usethe word and say, hey meeting you made me reallyhappy, that's instant but it is not the same feelingactually as saying, yes I am happy with my life, or Iam feeling very happy with what i am doing.To get to the point, there are 2 meanings in the waythe word "happy" is used that correspond to two verydifferent feelings. The first one is the instanthappiness type of feeling which i think you canproduce it in someone, i.e. tell him or her somethingthat will bring instantly a feeling of happiness butthe second meaning of happiness, being a state ofbeing with duration is intimately related to our lifeand its circumstances and that is very hard to offerto people. The second one also has to do with balancei think. There is a balance of positive feelings andcircumstances which make me feel happy. Within thatoverall context even when i hear some bad or negativenews, still my base feeling of happiness does notchange. In that sense I define happiness as a state ofbeing.(James)If you think about the end result of everyone's goalsand desires, after it's all said and done, once theyreceive what they want, or accomplish a particulargoal, that feeling is "HAPPINESS" that they have.It's always about creating happiness every time. Theironic thing is that, happiness is just an emotioncontrolled by our thoughts. We could just decide to behappy, even if we don't accomplish those tasks orgoals. When you are already happy, you then attractmore situations to keep you happy. What a great giftwe have (Mike)happiness is an inside job. there is nothing externalthat can bring people happiness. people will findhappiness when they stop loathing themselves. peoplewill stop loathing themselves when they stop judgingothers and truly extend forgiveness and love to othersunconditionally. (Walter)Happiness can be so elusive when you search for it. Ithink the secret to finding happiness can be as simpleas finding happiness in little things.You know, like take the time to appreciate a beautifulsunset, a strangers smile, a cool breeze. If you findhappiness in your surroundings I think you are morelikely to find yourself happy with the big stuff too.It all sounds like a cliche...But truthfully I was a bit depressed when I got youremail, and then suddenly here I am thinking about whatmakes me happy and I'm happier!Isn't that strange?(Ali )Happiness is relevant to the cycle of attachment andsufferingHappiness is relevant to the cycle of addiction andclingingHappiness is a neuropeptide (chemical)Happiness is a label that references an emotionalstate which is correlated to the subjective experienceof a chemical releaseHappiness is a motivator, state, condition, goal, etc(list any other adjective you wish)Happiness is something everyone wants but too few seemto haveHappiness is an impermanent stateHappiness is a dual extreme and its known only incomparison, contract, with unhappiness. Happiness isultimately unreal. (Sankara)I've heard myself say that happiness is a choice. AndI think that basically it comes down to that. So manyattach happiness to fulfillment but attachment bydefinition is the opposite of happiness. And truefulfillment is a letting go thing. "At the end of theday, you cast your glance back over what wasaccomplished and you let go." The happiness isn'tabout what got done, it's about acknowledging thatanother day's journey is over and you're beyond theday's ambitions.I'm going to stay with the choice thing. You know theold saying: I was sad because I had no shoes until Imet a man who had no feet. That's my take on it,lovely one. ( Robert-Lee)My take on this is that happiness is there. Everpresent within you, always within reach. It neverleaves. It's inside you at all times. All you have todo is access it by being the most positive lovingperson you know how to be. the more positive andloving you can be towards others, the bigger and morepowerfully you'll be able to access that happinesswithin yourself. (Kenny)OK, happiness....I define it as living one's life in general conformitywith awell-defined plan, maitaining a careful balancebetween self-disciplineand spontaneity while continually making progresstowards meaningfulgoals. (Anthony )Happiness is when your child hugs you and kisses youjust because you are you.Happiness is when your husband tells you he loves youeven when youknow you are washed out and tired and not looking yourbest.Happiness is when you drive down the road and you seea beautifulsunrise.Happiness is when a beautiful butterfly landson a nearby flower andflutters above it for a few moments. Happiness is madeout of so many little moments that make you realizeyou are very lucky. (Alex )

• Lynn Moles – November 12 2007

  A new baby, ice cream on a hot day, holding hands, love, friends, a kiss, a hug, picnic, watermelon, a puppy, birthdays..