Happiness is the goal and the purpose of human life. Every person in the world wants to attain this state, wherein they feel satisfied with the people they are with, the things they possess, the places they are in and the experiences they gain. They feel a certain sense of contentment and accomplishment for being alive.
Joy, pleasure, felicity, and bliss are some of the words synonymous to happiness. But one’s happiness can never be synonymous to that of another person’s. This is because people have various levels or degrees of and reasons for being happy.Happiness depends on the person, thus it is a subjective concept. It is ice cream for a little girl, ball for a little boy, crayons for a schoolchild, university entrance for a high school, degree for a college student, successful deal for a businessman, baby for a couple, care for a grandparent, and love for every person. These are the apparent proofs why people are happy.
These are positive things and are achievable. However, one’s happiness can mean another person’s unhappiness.For people pursuing their own ends, happiness is getting what they want no matter what it takes, no matter who gets hurt in the process. This is negative and also achievable. But this is not real and lasting happiness. For one to be truly happy and achieve true happiness, he or she must love and be loved as well.
This could be attained not only with the people he or she loves and cares for such as his or her family and friends, more so with the people he or she does not know in the spirit of service.Material and personal gain is not real happiness, being of service to others is. It is a fulfillment that money cannot buy. The joy, contentment, and satisfaction it brings is unparalleled by any other material or non-material thing in the world. Happiness is also a choice. One can choose to be happy by looking at the positive side of things even though he or she is surrounded by negativities.
It’s only a matter of perception and personal outlook. Happiness is easy to achieve, but real happiness is not, because attaining one’s goal and purpose is never easy.
