Written April 29, 2020 · Republished six years later, and it still holds true.

What Is Happiness?#

Happiness… What is happiness? When are you happy? How to be happy?

These are basic questions, but the hardest to answer. Why?

If you spend years trying to figure out what makes you happy, you are a special person. Most people think happiness is something we acquire daily, something we chase intently, or perhaps something we can get from other people.

But if you think this way, you are thinking of shallow happiness, something temporary.

People who take time to reflect about life tend to question these basic things.

The Chase#

I spent years chasing happiness too, from people, from material things, from temporary situations. And all of it was a failure. I always went back to square one.

Then I asked myself:

  • What makes me happy?
  • Am I happy with my life now?
  • Am I happy with who I am?
  • Am I happy with who I am with?
  • Am I happy with my choices?

Happiness Is a State of Mind#

I believe that our choices affect our happiness. And yes, happiness is a state of mind.

Picture this: your mind is like a garden. It needs to be nurtured and taken care of, daily.

What does that mean? It means you make the right choices. You feed your mind with positivity.

Sometimes all we need is to make the right choices. But then you ask, how do I know what the right choice is?

Choices can sometimes be a risk. But knowing when to take that risk is the key to happiness.

Acknowledging Your Gifts#

Before, I didn’t really know what made me happy, so I made bad choices. Worse, I ended up unhappy for a long time.

But the moment I realized I didn’t want my life to be wasted, I started to acknowledge my gifts. I’m talking about the things you have always loved since you were a kid. We all have them.

In my case:

  • I love art and painting
  • I love music
  • I love nature
  • I love relating to people and understanding them These things make me whole. By nurturing them daily, I began to develop a happy state of mind.

That is true happiness, being able to express your soul, to truly live while being alive.

Not all people realize this, which is why they tend to grow unhappy. They forget the things that truly make them happy and settle for the temporary comforts life offers instead.

The People Who Make Us Whole#

Why do we cancel meetings to attend our niece’s christening or a family gathering?

Because it is the relationships we have with the people we love, our families, the people from our childhood, that contributed to our core beliefs, important memories, and values. These are the people who helped shape us. Being with them makes us whole.

Does Money Make You Happy?#

Yes, but only temporarily.

If money gave true happiness, then why are so many wealthy people I know unhappy? Why do career-successful friends still reach out on their loneliest nights, looking for someone to listen?

Simply because they want someone to hear their pain. And I feel sad for them. I pray they find true happiness, or at least realize that happiness has been right under their noses all along.

Love Yourself#

I always tell my friends: love yourself.

And what I mean by that is, nurture yourself. Be kind to yourself. Let yourself reach its greatest potential to be truly happy.

Because when you are truly happy, you are able to appreciate life. You begin to notice the simplest details that make life worthwhile.

Your treasure is your happiness.