43 Days of Reflections and Ruminations by Tom Fahey

Author:Tom Fahey
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Austin Macauley Publishers
Published: 2022-01-12T00:00:00+00:00

Chapter 21

Happiness

Really what is happiness, I would hate to think of it as only a lack of sadness or depression. Or you can only be happy if you are not overworked or stressed. Is laughter happiness? I generally believe that I am a happy person that has had a good life. But would you be happy in my shoes or me in yours? Polls say that Americans would rather be happy than rich. I believe that I would rather be rich and miserable than poor and miserable. However, I am neither rich nor miserable, so I must be happy!

Let us work on a definition of happiness as used in the context of mental or emotional states. Happiness is when we have positive pleasant emotions ranging from contentment to joy. Happiness is also used to describe life satisfaction and general well-being. I found this long list of synonyms in an online dictionary: contentment · pleasure contentedness satisfaction cheerfulness cheeriness merriment merriness gaiety joy joyfulness joyousness joviality jollity jolliness glee blitheness carefreeness gladness delight good spirits ·high spirits light-heartedness good cheer well-being enjoyment felicity exuberance exhilaration elation ecstasy delirium jubilation rapture bliss blissfulness euphoria beatitude. That is not even the complete list! If I went through the day needing to feel all these happiness synonyms, I think I would be emotionally exhausted.

I think of happiness in a much more holistic way. It is a general state of emotional wellness. An individual that gets giddy over a great golf shot then throws his club after a terrible shot probably is not a very happy person. If you think you are only happy away from work or doing your hobby on weekends that is not conducive to real happiness. When you add all the little things like a rewarding job, great family and friends, activities you like, and a relationship with God, you can live a happy life. There will be trials and tribulations and you need to work on relationships, but you can be happy and satisfied. Not happy with your job, get another job. Troubles at home, work on your relationships. Read, work out, eat healthy, live a rewarding life, and happiness will find you.

One of my daughter’s friends who I coached in two youth sports was about one of the happiest girls I ever met. Whether at a practice or game she was always laughing and having fun. You could not shake that smile off her face even if you made her run extra laps for not paying attention. In the toughest competition in high school, she still had that smile or laugh barely contained even when the coach was frantic. She demonstrated she had her priorities in line and really lived life understanding how to enjoy the moment. She never forgot that sports were for fun. I hope she never loses that joy of life.

I have been told hundreds of times by my own wife or children that often I am the only one that thinks I am funny. I guess that my corny humor is not as hilarious to all as it should be.

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