Happiness is a funny thing. It kind of sneaks up on you. I do not think that the average person - myself included - is happy at all times. I think that normally people are content and true happiness is something that comes upon us on occasion. If we are lucky, those occasions are frequent.
I do not at all mean that being content is a negative state. I think that it's a very good thing. If people had a dopey grin of happiness at all times, they would cease to be productive members of society. Contentedness is a great state - it means that you are satisfied with your life and in a state of peace.
I also think that most people do not sit around thinking about the state of their happiness. I know that I don't. But during the most random moments - driving the car, shopping for groceries, etc - you realize that you are truly happy. When that realization dawns, it's quite a treat. You feel a certain glow come upon you. It sounds cheesy, but I've experienced it and it's definitely true.
I wish that you could bottle up that feeling. It would be nice to be able to experience it whenever you wish. Bad day at work? Take a nip of happiness and you are good to go. Sadly, life does not work that way.
But maybe, that's to our benefit. If people felt that glow of happiness at all times, it would cease to be an incredibly special feeling. And that's what makes it such a joy and something to be treasured.
If you bottled that feeling to be happy all the time, you would only redefine happiness and unhappiness or, worse, dull the really happy times. I don't mind the truly sad moments because I think those are the times when I appreciate the happier times. However, it is the frustrating or boring times I could do without - like sitting in traffic, sitting behind a truck taking up both lanes of traffic while going 25 miles per hour. :)
ReplyDeleteBut then, while in traffic, a good song can come on and change everything. So, maybe it's not that we need to be happy all the time, but we need to find the small joys and embrace those instead of waiting for big happy moments all the time. I'd be too tired of happy all the time. It's so tiring - all that smiling and energy.