Thread: What Makes One Truly Happy

Wow , you guys are so deep. My thoughts on this: Well back when i was just a child happiness meant waking up at my grandparents house , in the country side , smelling the fresh air , watching my grandma and grandpa work, chasing animals thru the yard , running in the open field with my friends , having no care in the world ,or simply enjoying my grandma's cooking.Now having a more clear picture of the wold , those thoughts still remain with me , deeply stuck to my soul , but new things have stepped a foot in my life , and now happiness for me is having friends and family with whom to make a tight bond and to rely on. Money is NOT everything , sometimes it brings more pain than joy , the small things in life make it beautiful .

I personally can't say with any authority what makes one truly happy. But this psychologist wrote a book on the subject relatively recently called "The How of Happiness: A Scientific Approach to Getting the Life You Want". The premise of the book is "(1) that happiness is worth striving for, and (2) that 50 percent of a given human's happiness level is genetically determined (based on twin studies), 10 percent is affected by life circumstances and situation, and a remaining 40 percent of happiness is subject to self control. The strategies offered in the book are designed to target the 40 percent of happiness that is subject to manipulation." (Sonja Lyubomirsky, http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_How_of_Happiness#The_How_of_Happiness).

The following is a list of "happiness-enhancing strategies" from the book that can also be found at www.thehappinessinstitute.com:

(1) Counting your blessings: Expressing gratitude for what you have (either privately,
through contemplation or journaling, or to a close other) or conveying your
appreciation to one or more individuals whom you've never properly thanked.

(2) Cultivating optimism: Keeping a journal in which you imagine and write about the
best possible future for yourself, or practicing to look at the bright side of every
situation.

(3) Avoiding over thinking and social comparison: Using strategies (such as
distraction) to cut down on how often you dwell on your problems and compare
yourself to others.

(4) Practicing acts of kindness: Doing good things for others, whether friends or
strangers, either directly or anonymously, either spontaneously or planned.

(5) Nurturing relationships: Picking a relationship in need of strengthening, and
investing time and energy in healing, cultivating, affirming, and enjoying it.

(6) Doing more activities that truly engage you: Increasing the number of experiences
at home and work in which you "lose" yourself, which are challenging and absorbing.

(7) Replaying and savoring life's joys: Paying close attention, taking delight, and going
over life's momentary pleasures and wonders – through thinking, writing, drawing, or
sharing with another.

(8) Committing to your goals: Picking one, two, or three significant goals that are
meaningful to you and devoting time and effort to pursuing them.

(9) Developing strategies for coping: Practicing ways to endure or surmount a recent
stress, hardship, or trauma.

(10) Learning to forgive: Keeping a journal or writing a letter in which you work on
letting go of anger and resentment towards one or more individuals who have hurt or
wronged you.

(11) Practicing religion and spirituality: Becoming more involved in your church,
temple, or mosque, or reading and pondering spiritually-themed books.

(12) Taking care of your body: Engaging in physical activity, meditating, and smiling
and laughing.

It is my honest opinion that no one really knows the answer to what is true happiness if this was not true the saying its like the more you have the more you want would have never been invented just really think about it and you will see that life is funny that way for example look at Tiger Woods all the money in the world a beautiful family and wife and still wanting, so what makes you truly happy is truly a mystery

yeah now thats a really great question..i found it difficult to ponder upon myself..but inthe end i found an answer to it...no material thing, money, job, sex can make us happy..i have tried it.. and so do have many people.... so i changed my way of thinking..i mean why to think what makes me happy..why not to think what makes me unhappy.......so i tried to find what is the ultimate thing in human life that make him unhappy or as if something is mstill missing in his life.......... the root cause is "DESIRE"..yes its the desire of wanting something we dont have or the desire of progressing more and more to reach the top and nothing else....its even the disire of being happy itself...this human nature of having a desire is what is the root cause of being unhappy..so to be happy we ought to loose this quality of having desires..ofc that cannot be done so simply as writing this post but that is the only answer to it.....just remember one great saying "cherish your life..appreciate your life...those who do not appreciate life do not deserve life"..ofc thats a movie saying.. but that changed me atleast..

I guess first of all comes health, wife and family, happiness, wealth, money and all other goods.

Such a hard topic to truly answer but here goes. For me in my life I have been through a good deal of unhappy times. However I believe because I have persevere and have gotten stronger from doing so that this has made be happy.

Be it the almost 10 years of being drug free, or the 6 years of being alcohol free. However I realize that these are not truly accomplishments that make me happy.

I've been unemployed for a little over 5 months now, last year I was unemployed for 5 months so within a near two year span I have been without a job for 10 months. It's rough to say the least.

It's not been easy to make it through financially , and or mentally, however it is during this time that I realize what it is that truly makes me happy. That would be my kids.

Not my computer I was proud to have been able to build, not my HDTV, not a single possession I have truly brings me happiness as much as my sons do.

Happiness is a funny topic to me as we all find it in different ways.

Dear friends!

Thank you so very much for all your contributions-Your thoughts have made me reevaluate my understanding of True Happiness and it's role in my daily life.

While reading through your wonderful thoughts, I also remembered Thomas Jefferson's quote in the Declaration of Independence and the part about the right to life, liberty and the pursuit of Happiness. I could not help but wonder why did he include the pursuit part in there? And that perhaps Happiness is something that we can only pursue and true Happiness is something which one can maybe never actually have...

One moment we're Happy & contented, or at least we think we are and the next moment, we can't help but want more! What qualifies as true Happiness and is there an ultimate limit or quantity of Happiness one can reach in a lifetime? I can't really tell... But here are a few of my thoughts on what I think true Happiness is and as I understand it today, in a few simple words...

True Happiness is eating a cone,
with lots of cream'n'nuts sown,
True Happiness is sharing it with,
someone deep in your heart known.

True Happiness is singing a song
True Happiness is dancing along,
True Happiness is giving it your whole,
And knowing that nothing will ever go wrong!

True Happiness is feeling your love-
The emotions expressed by Doves
True Happiness is knowing that,
your love comes without a shove.

True Happiness is feeling the Sun,
On the beach while you walk or you run,
True Happiness is taking moments,
and filling each with lot's of fun!

True Happiness is a seeing a child laugh,
True Happiness is watching a cute little calf,
True Happiness is playing with your kid,
while your are his horse or giraffe.

True Happiness is watching the waves,
True Happiness is exploring the deepest of caves,
True Happiness is loving each other forever,
without behaving like knaves.

True Happiness is seeing Dad laugh at the mile,
True Happiness is watching Mom smile,
True Happiness is making someone special see,
that there's still more to you, after a while.

True Happiness is living a life of Giving,
True Happiness is in truly forgiving.
True Happiness is making a difference,
reflecting Gratitude and Thanksgiving.

True Happiness is giving your best,
No matter how hard Fate does test,
True Happiness is knowing that you have,
pushed your heart & nerve to its limit, with zest.

True Happiness is that what's in your mind,
And what you make of what you find,
True Happiness is going towards a new dawn,
And leaving all your past behind.


Best Wishes,

Mackenna:001_smile:

Edit:

On a lighter note, I would like to also share with you all, one of one my all-time-favorite songs on True, True Happiness.. written by Johnny Tillotson... Enjoy!:001_smile:

[ame]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=POWOCLU03Jk[/ame]

LOVE, i can't remember any other feeling when all other things simply don't count anymore

A lot of people are going to agree with me on this one... it's your DOG!