by N. A. Green

Created on: December 09, 2008   Last Updated: January 13, 2009

happiness
[hap-ee-nis]noun

1. the quality or state of being happy.
2. good fortune; pleasure; contentment; joy.

The dictionary gives us a very clear sense of what happiness means. It's pretty cut-and-dry, in fact. Where it gets a little trickier, however, is achieving the aforementioned "quality or state of being happy". What brings us happiness?

For some, happiness comes in the form of money and possessions. For others, being successful does it and then for others still, it's something a little more intangible. Happiness is in the form of a compliment from a stranger, or a flirtatious wink that makes us feel good about ourselves. The joyous laugh of a child or the smiling coo of a baby can give us that warm, fuzzy feeling that can only be described as happiness.

Some people feel their best, and are at their most content when they are making others happy. Giving a gift, doling out a compliment, or showering someone with praise is enough to lift some people to a state of bliss that cannot be achieved any other way.

Good fortune and positive things certainly have an affect on my happiness level. I've been through enough diversity and hardships in my past to appreciate when good things come my way. But I truly believe that being happy and achieving happiness has a lot to do with your attitude and outlook on life.

Let's face it, we could always have more. We could always have better gadgets, bigger homes and nicer cars. Our waists, rears, arms, legs could always be a little slimmer. How does one learn to appreciate the things that they were given in life?

To me, it's simple.
Repeat these words: It could always be worse.
True, someone is always going to have more money than you, a newer car than you, or a better garden than you do. Consider the other side; there are millions of people in this world who have no money, no car and certainly no yard in which to create and tend to a garden. The fact that you are reading these words at all right now means that you are blessed enough to have a computer. If you are reading this at work, you are blessed enough to have a job. There are so many things in this world and in our lives that we take for granted. We want for bigger and better things, and fail to stop and be happy and grateful for what we have.

Instead of focusing on how jealous, bitter or angry you feel, perhaps take a little time out of our day to try and focus on more pleasant, positive emotions: elation, joy, love and of course, happiness. The next time you feel that twinge of jealousy toward your neighbor's shiny new car, close your eyes and feel happy that you have a mode of transportation of your own. Take the time to stop and smell the proverbial roses. Slow down your pace, and enjoy the summer sun on the way to the office. Revel in the briskness of a chilly winter morning when everything smells clean and fresh and looks like a dream. Relive your own childhood by finger-painting with your son or daughter, or take that dance class that you've always wanted to but have been too nervous to actually take. You only have this one life to live, so why not milk it for all its worth? Focus on the positive things in your life and the blessings that are bestowed upon you more often, and I believe you will find yourself naturally achieving a state of happiness with more ease than you may think.

All of your life experiences, both positive and negative, make you who you are today. All of the good and the bad in your life, all of the experiences you have in your everyday life mean one thing at the end of the day: You are alive. You are breathing, living, laughing, and loving.

If that simple fact isn't enough to make you happy, then I don't know what else will.

Learn more about this author, N. A. Green.
Click here to send this author comments or questions.