I’ve been asked lately given so many changes, if I’m happy.  Sounds like a simple question, and beyond the simple yes I am, I thought it interesting to think about what does happiness mean.

After some thought, it seem to me that happiness is a state of being in the moments of life feeling that you are understood, that you are appreciated, that you are somehow moving forward, in understanding, and in creativity.  For only through growth in wisdom can we ever have that feeling of moving toward a higher being of ourselves. In our moments, do we find joy of humor, of beauty, of physical exertion, of social interaction, and joy of watching the success of others, the fun of kids (there is where pure joy is), such that the annoyances of life, which could be many are washed away by the good and joyous in our lives?   An article I was reading on annoyances, said that sometimes it seems as if language was invented so that we could complain to each other about minor annoyances.  Besides being somewhat of a humorous thought, I do think there is a good point here, where we make minor annoyances something greater, and thereby more painful for ourselves then they should be.

I think that a blocker to happiness is being too absorbed with annoyances, or worry about future problems, or past failures to enjoy the moments we are living in, and appreciate our accomplishments. I also believe that being understood and being loved for who you are is vital to a sense of self-worth. We can only stand in front of mirror and say, hey I like that person so much. We all need some affirmation from others, and we need others to understand us.  We need to appreciate accomplishments of our own and others.  Certainly it seems that this sense of worth, as well as the ability to enjoy each moment is a good way to define happiness!