by Athena Brady

Created on: February 22, 2010

Happiness, can be many things, it can be seeing your child born, or could be passing your driving test. Depending on your age and position in life, it could be either one. When you are a small child pleasing your parents may bring you great happiness. However, as a teenager it could be seeing your favourite band live. How do we know what happiness is ? We are only able measure happiness by an awareness of it's opposite. If you never knew what it was to feel sad, you will never know what it is to experience happiness. As one concept cannot be understood without it's counterpart, as one cannot exist without the other, to measure it by.

Your happiness will depend on what you value as a person and will change, as you evolve through your life. If you see success as important, then making your first million or getting a promotion, will make you happy. If you are struggling to get pregnant, having a child may make you happy. When you are young having friendships with popular people may make you happy. However, when you are older ,and have gained more wisdom, having a few true friends, may be your goal.

Some people derive great happiness through making others happy. Buying that special someone a present, or giving money to charity, or volunteering their time to a worthy cause. What brings you joy in your life and lifts you up ? Do more of it, make time for it. What do you think you will see at the end of your life, as your happiest moments ? I suggest, it will be the milestones in your life, like the birth of your children. It could be your wedding day, to the love of your life. It could be playing a game with your grandchildren, or your father surviving a car crash. None of these things are material things but they are all things that matter. They are things that cannot be brought.

So as you tell yourself you haven't got time to play with your children, or visit your sick parent; as you are working to make more money to buy more material things. Remember that these things, will not matter after you have died and look back on your life. You probably won't give a second thought to the mansion you bought. However, you will probably be sad about all missed moments to connect, to love, to comfort, another. We cannot change our past, but we can change our future before it is too late. Will you create more happy moments in your life or will you own more possessions ?

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