There are many different ways to measure happiness and many words we use to describe those nuances. A simple definition of happiness I like is this: Happiness is the byproduct of a life well-lived. I think this aligns well with reality.
Most of us, if given the chance, wouldn’t choose to live our lives attached to a computer simulation that promised us the blissful feeling of happiness over the real experience. We want our happiness to be the genuine result of what we experience and create in life—the resonance of the people we love, the things we accomplish, and the memories we make. For that reason, it’s hard to describe how to be happy.
There are so many ways to be happy and they are going to depend hugely on one’s circumstances. Unhappiness is a different story. Whenever I find myself in an emotional funk, it doesn’t take much reflection to identify the typical explanations: Either I wasn’t eating well, sleeping well, or exercising enough.
With only a few days to a week of consistency in bettering those fronts, I notice a profound change in the way I feel both physically and mentally. My mission in life is rooted in my Christian faith. It provides an understanding of why I’m here on this earth, an understanding of how to live well while I’m alive, and a reason to hope for the future.
While I’m not here to evangelize, I’d be lying if I didn’t admit that I would love for all people to share this joy with me. Regardless, it seems happiness requires a convincing and powerful story to drive our behavior or we’ll be carried away by the short-term view of our current circumstances. Happiness is, of course, a relative gift.
If it weren’t then only the most successful or lovable among us would be able to enjoy its blessings. In this sense it is subjective. The decision to be happy with your circumstances can be made by anyone who chooses to focus on what’s good in their life rather than what’s not.
Try to remove these common sources of unhappiness, and learn to enjoy what is here. Happiness is contagious and will reverberate to others around you—then come right back to you..
