Happiness

The other day a friend and I had an interesting conversation on the topic of happiness. I actually spouted some stuff out of my mouth unknowingly which became food for thought.

She asked me "What is your idea of happiness?"

Ah one of life's great mysteries.

Frankly I am not an authority in this department to comment about it. However, a book I read brought up a point which I felt had a lot of truth.

Much of the unhappiness we experience is due to the existence of desire and craving. We desire wealth, the new phone, the new toy, that cute guy and the list goes on. Like they say, it is expectation that leads to disappointment. It is this expectation that is generated from desire that leads to disappointment and unhappiness. Of course, most mere mortals are unable to renounce all desire.

It does however, lead one to think that....happiness really is a state of mind. It should exist even by itself when you have nothing. To feel happiness for being alive, for the sunshine or for the rain and not because you have or do not have something.

I am sure we all know, this is not an easy stage to reach.

However, we have come to the point where we have attached happiness to the things we own and do not own. We will be happy when we have that dress, that car. that promotion, that apartment and so on. My friend brought up a good point. Advertising led us to believe we will be happy when we buy x product, y service. Sure it does make us happy but we all know...it is largely transitory.

What is happiness? Well I don't really know how to answer this question but perhaps I should give a little story here that might put things into some perspective.

I have a friend whom I have not seen in a while...He has a rare brain disease that means he may die anytime. He's in his late 20s by the way. To him, happiness is being able to wake up every morning, see the sun and touch the ground with his feet.

That's so simple isn't it? How many of us can find the happiness that exist in something that we take for granted? What is happiness to you?

That's food for thought :)