I wonder if people have unrealistic understandings of what happiness is. Whether happiness is something that we strive for, and once obtained, will stay with us forever. I tend to think that happiness, just like any other emotion, is something that we experience, and fades away. Sure, there are experiences that we engage in that encourages happiness to be created in our lives... but just like anxiety, sadness, and anger, happiness is a fleeting emotion.
There are a lot of people that I encounter who desire happiness. Who say that they're unhappy, and looking for ways to either fill that void in their minds and hearts, or to look for ways to arrange an increase of happiness in their lives. One of the best questions to ask is what happiness looks like to them. Is it making a lot of money? Is it being surrounded by family and friends? Does happiness mean having people like you? Some people can't form into words what it means to them... they just know that it's missing from their lives.
Something I'd like to submit isn't the search for happiness, but the search for contentment. Contentment with being an individual. Contentment in the workplace and at home. Contentment with relationships. To me, happiness comes and goes... but contentment is more stable. Despite challenges that present themselves in our lives that may reduce the happiness that we experience, can we still be content with the lives we have?
Contentment isn't having a lot of money, but it might be making ends meet with a little left over.
Contentment isn't being surrounded by family and friends, but being able to count on others when needed.
Contentment isn't having people like you, but accepting yourself.
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