What is true happiness? Every person is different and chances are, everyone of us will define happiness a bit differently. If you had one day left on Earth, would you die a happy person?
If you ask someone poor, what is happiness, he or she will say being rich. If you ask someone old, what is happiness, he or she will say being young? If you ask someone not so good looking, what is happiness, he or she will say being attractive. There is one common trend here. We always want what we do not have. What if we just accepted what we had, and lived happily?
Walk into a Children’s Hospital, and you will realize how much you have? You will see precious children fighting for their lives with Cancer, Crohn’s Disease, Sickle Cell Anemia, Lupus, Juvenile Diabetes; unfortunately, the list is too long to name all the various disorders. You will hear innocent cries, see tears of helpless children, with families praying that their child survive. Some of these children have spent months in the Hospital, surgery after surgery. My heart goes out to each suffering child and their families.
Often we complain about little things in life whether it be: work issues, kids, hustle and bustle of life, or insignificant, trivial everyday issues. People often vent their anger through Road Rage, screaming, or putting others down. It always make me wonder, how can you feel better by putting someone else down? How can you feel happy? I am a firm believer in the saying “Life is too short to hold grudges.” In the moment, even if you felt an ounce of goodness out of being angry, it is a matter of moments before you start feeling miserable for your actions.
Would we all be happier if everyone was kinder to one another? Environment plays a large role in happiness. If you are in a hostile environment, chances are, you are going to feel low and sad. On the contrary, being around good things, happy people. joyous moments, will make one feel energized and delighted. Everything seems so much better when your environment is non-stressful. Reading an inspirational or motivational piece of writing by an Author such as Joel Osteen, will also make you appreciative. Doing something you love, even if it as simple as cooking, or painting, can make you happy.
When I say my prayers, I always introspect and think about my current day. What am I thankful for? Did I hurt anyone intentionally during my day? Did I help anyone during my day? I guarantee you, if you start a Gratitude Journal or even a prayer, you will feel happy within moments, when you realize you have helped someone or have something to be thankful for.
Slow down and look at your life. If you are miserable, it is never too late to change. If you are happy, chances are, you have already realized or been through something, which has made you realize what true happiness is. You do not have to look far to find happiness. It lies right in front of you. You just have to seize it before it is too late.
