It may sound like a silly question but it’s an important question nonetheless. In the everyday rush to get things done and compete with the world, how often do you think about your happiness? Because if you are not happy then you can’t keep others happy, your work will get impacted and your relationships will also get strained.

Happiness is not an Eternal Feeling

We all have good and bad days and even hours during the day. Happiness is ephemeral and it’s not a bad thing. We can’t always remain happy with changing circumstances in our lives. There will be moments of misery, hurt, guilt, desperation, frustration, and the like and that’s what makes life colorful and vibrant.

However, amongst all these feelings and different emotions at times, there should always be moments where you feel happy about things and people in your life. There should be moments when you thank (to whoever you believe in) for the things or life you have.

However, momentary it might be, there should always be moments of happiness in your life and as you move ahead in your life you should ensure that such moments increase through your actions and the decisions you take.

Are you doing things that make you Happy?

You might conclude that you aren’t happy and there is only a feeling of frustration and dissatisfaction in your life. Then you need to ask yourself some tough questions. Are you doing things that make you happy? Are you making decisions only to please others and which brings misery to you? Are you over-sacrificing?

Don’t do things at the cost of sacrificing your own happiness. If you do that then ultimately it’s going to make things worse for you and won’t keep people around you happy either.

Happy or Satisfied?

Happiness is often a confusing term. And many people can’t even clearly answer if they are happy or not. What are the parameters to judge happiness? How happy I am? How long I could remain happy? What to do to make myself happy? I don’t know if I am happy but I feel Satisfied, is that happiness?

Happiness and Satisfaction could mean the same thing to some and totally different to others. So you have to judge for yourself.

After a tough day at the office, if you are able to complete everything that you planned to do at the beginning of the day, you feel satisfied but aren’t you feeling elated as well? So isn’t that happiness?

You were planning to do a certification or course and you completed it successfully. Are you feeling happy or satisfied? A family get-together that you have been planning for a long time materializes, you finish a book that you have been meaning to read for a long time, or you spend a fun afternoon with your kid in the park. Are you satisfied or happy?

There are always some people who would try to make a distinction between the two.

I will only be happy if I pass the exams by more than 90%. I am satisfied that I got the job but I would have been happy if my salary package was better.

All you are doing is trying to deny yourself happiness and keep yourself frustrated. Additionally, it will have a negative impact on the things that you do and the people around you.

It’s not a crime to be happy, don’t feel guilty about it. If your friend failed the exam and you passed, you can feel happy for yourself and at the same time feel sympathetic towards your friend’s situation.

The following comic strip (credits: unknown) is a good reminder of how happiness can be achieved.