Pure Happiness
"Happiness is only a byproduct of successful living." -- Austen Riggs, psychiatrist
Is happiness something you can achieve, something you can have, something you can hold on to? Or is happiness more like an attitude, a character trait, or a disposition?
Happiness is fleeting
My {fill in the black} day was the happiest day of my life. Notice the key word in this sentence – was. Now that the day has past, are you no longer happy or did that happiness only last for a moment.
Think about it, the birthday gift that was always wanted produces a happiness, but, the gift gets old, the gift doesn’t last, and neither does the happiness.
Associating happiness with getting something or achievement does not produce lifelong happiness.
So what does?
It seems we are always in search of happiness – but is it something we have to find – externally? Or can we achieve happiness from within?
Attitude
Inherently happy people do not tie their happiness to their surroundings. This can be tricky, at best, because we interact with so many events and people every minute. This does not mean you are detached from the situation, but, you know who you are and your capacity of being. For example, your happiness doesn’t rely solely on whether you get that job or promotion. Yes, it is your goal, but, not achieving it won’t make you feel like a failure. A happy person realizes that only one person could get that job or promotion and moves on to applying for another job or position.
Character Trait
Did you ever notice that happy people always have something they are working on? They have an involvement with the community, with others. They see a need and are there. They are not overwhelmed by what it happening, but they are certain that they can help make a difference.
And the satisfaction they get by knowing their worth contributes to their happiness.
Disposition
How you look at learning a new skill, trying something different all has to do with your level of happiness. Realizing that life is a learning process and sometimes the learning curve is steep is part of the happiness factor. Moving forward is better than standing still but standing still gives you time to think and determine if the path is right or you need a change. You might think of happiness as the ability to be flexible and look for the opportunity in every circumstance. Being able to embrace the change instead of resisting it. One person I knew was told that there would be massive layoffs at the company she was working for. Her co-workers went into a panic state, her attitude was – This is great! I’ve been wanting to start my own business. I’ll use the next six months to see what I can do. And with that, she did start a successful business.
Happiness and a happy life is within everyone’s reach, as long as everyone reaches for it.
Linda Watson has a history of achieving her goals and succeeding through difficulties. She is the author of the forthcoming book Harnessing Your Abundance.