For me happiness is a state of being, an ‘ease’ not to be confused with inactivity or avoidance of difficult things. But a flow, an ease in how I approach whatever the moment, day or week has in store for me.
I don’t like negative definitions, but the absence of angst/anger etc etc is true of happiness, a person just ‘is’ at ease and open, curious for more.
Happiness however definitely doesn’t mean life is all plain-sailing … it is entirely possible to be happy AND still be journeying thro complex life challenges.
For those able to achieve that state, there is gratitude for the sweet moments that pepper the tough stuff, and also an innate acceptance that life is inherently unpredictable in both quantity and content…. So best enjoy the ride.
Lovely read for a sunny Monday morning - am now off to get ready for a circular bike ride to the coast and a tasty lunch at the half way mark where we can walk along the beach in the Spring sunshine. Whilst there walking, I’ll most likely mull over some of this weeks foreseeable challenges and decide how best to prioritize my time and energies.
I did the Laurie Santos course too. It was the perfect time to do it in 2020 lockdown, and recovering from burnout at the time.
I combined this with studying the “economics of wellbeing” as an added module during my MBA program.
This was essentially a deep dive into the history and all the way to current perspectives, but based on its association with economics.
I loved the 3 ways to consider happiness as being 1. Hedonism 2. Life Satisfaction 3. Purpose and I guess an added being flow states.
We’re complicated beings and I like to think of it as a requirement of all of these efforts, rather than entirely focusing on one, and we’ll have different predominant needs in different times of our lives
Yes, all the time! I don't truly understand the difference between happiness and joy, but sometimes I think that joy is more about seeking out the really beautiful moments in life, or at least acknowledging when we feel something 'joyous'.
As you've pointed out, I think happiness, for me, seems to be affected by all sorts of external factors, whether we like it or not. I'm always happier in my life when my work/life balance is good, and when my children are going through a happy period themselves, or my parents seem well. A run of happiness, as you say, can end due to illness or financial difficulty or work stress.
I think happiness is becoming overused as it seems to be the language used by everyone and so is relatable, “happy ever after”, “happy birthday” etc. Perhaps it’s about an overall state of positive being?
In reality, what we are experiencing can vary from moment to moment, with overall trends towards the positive or negative. We are all so busy, it gets in the way of self-awareness and then we struggle to access an experience beyond “happy or bad/sad/mad.”
Sitting here right now, I feel happy, and also peaceful, relaxed and curious…all in one go. Also felt a grief twinge 5 minutes ago.
That’s just my experience. Our range is bigger than we think.
Great question Ayan.
For me happiness is a state of being, an ‘ease’ not to be confused with inactivity or avoidance of difficult things. But a flow, an ease in how I approach whatever the moment, day or week has in store for me.
I don’t like negative definitions, but the absence of angst/anger etc etc is true of happiness, a person just ‘is’ at ease and open, curious for more.
Happiness however definitely doesn’t mean life is all plain-sailing … it is entirely possible to be happy AND still be journeying thro complex life challenges.
For those able to achieve that state, there is gratitude for the sweet moments that pepper the tough stuff, and also an innate acceptance that life is inherently unpredictable in both quantity and content…. So best enjoy the ride.
Lovely read for a sunny Monday morning - am now off to get ready for a circular bike ride to the coast and a tasty lunch at the half way mark where we can walk along the beach in the Spring sunshine. Whilst there walking, I’ll most likely mull over some of this weeks foreseeable challenges and decide how best to prioritize my time and energies.
Happy days 🙃
Totally agree! Adversity is a part of life and we can definitely feel happy around it.
I did the Laurie Santos course too. It was the perfect time to do it in 2020 lockdown, and recovering from burnout at the time.
I combined this with studying the “economics of wellbeing” as an added module during my MBA program.
This was essentially a deep dive into the history and all the way to current perspectives, but based on its association with economics.
I loved the 3 ways to consider happiness as being 1. Hedonism 2. Life Satisfaction 3. Purpose and I guess an added being flow states.
We’re complicated beings and I like to think of it as a requirement of all of these efforts, rather than entirely focusing on one, and we’ll have different predominant needs in different times of our lives
I hear you. It’s all too nebulous for me tbh!
Absolutely it is, but I also concur with your last paragraph, it sort of blends all this together
Yes, all the time! I don't truly understand the difference between happiness and joy, but sometimes I think that joy is more about seeking out the really beautiful moments in life, or at least acknowledging when we feel something 'joyous'.
As you've pointed out, I think happiness, for me, seems to be affected by all sorts of external factors, whether we like it or not. I'm always happier in my life when my work/life balance is good, and when my children are going through a happy period themselves, or my parents seem well. A run of happiness, as you say, can end due to illness or financial difficulty or work stress.
Glad it resonated!
I think happiness is becoming overused as it seems to be the language used by everyone and so is relatable, “happy ever after”, “happy birthday” etc. Perhaps it’s about an overall state of positive being?
In reality, what we are experiencing can vary from moment to moment, with overall trends towards the positive or negative. We are all so busy, it gets in the way of self-awareness and then we struggle to access an experience beyond “happy or bad/sad/mad.”
Sitting here right now, I feel happy, and also peaceful, relaxed and curious…all in one go. Also felt a grief twinge 5 minutes ago.
That’s just my experience. Our range is bigger than we think.
Yes I totally agree with you Claire. It’s also a word we learn when we are very young and the meaning we ascribe to it changes with age.