Everyone desires the pursuit of happiness, a life filled with joy, contentment, and well-being. Happiness is often considered the ultimate reward of a life well-lived. As Abraham Lincoln once said, ‘Most people are about as happy as they decide to be.'
However, the concept of happiness is often misconstrued. Some people ask, is happiness merely a feeling that we sometimes experience, or is it a state of mind that requires conscious effort to maintain?
Exploring Emotions and Happiness
Experiencing joy or elation is an emotion, which is transitory. Our emotions shift constantly, influenced greatly by external situations. Feelings such as sadness, anger, excitement, and happiness come and go, and are largely reactions to events around us.
Our emotions can sometimes seem uncontrollable. For instance, we tend to feel fear when our peace is jeopardized or anger when we are hurt or betrayed. Remaining happy in such circumstances is challenging.
Our happiness often fluctuates based on how specific life events impact us. Our feelings generally shape our perception of reality, leading many to believe that they have no control over their happiness, leaving it to the whims and fancies of life. In doing so, they relinquish their power and create a belief that they have no influence over their own happiness.
Happiness: A Mindset
Contrarily, happiness as a state of mind results from our thought processes. A happiness mindset is more enduring compared to a fleeting feeling or emotion.
A mindset of happiness shapes our attitude and perspective in life, regardless of external influences or the actions of others. Cultivating a happy state of mind is a deliberate process.
We have the ability to mold, control, and influence our happiness. This allows happiness to become a conscious effort, preventing external circumstances from solely determining our emotions.
A mindset transcends the external circumstances that may not always align with our desire for happiness. It remains constant even after resolving issues. In other words, a mindset is a more permanent state that we get to keep!
When we face negative experiences, it's normal to feel negative emotions. However, a positive and happy mindset enables us to maintain this part of ourselves, regardless of the current circumstances.
The Path to Enduring Happiness
To achieve true and lasting happiness, we need to cultivate a happiness mindset. Irrespective of the negative external circumstances, a happiness mindset serves as a filter, offering a conscious choice to remain positive.
A happiness mindset involves acceptance and optimism. It allows us to embrace both the good and the bad as parts of life. Our perception is the most significant factor influencing our happiness.
This does not mean denying reality, but consciously choosing to be as happy as we can.
When we face negative experiences, we should acknowledge them and respond positively without losing hope.
Feeling emotions is normal and healthy. It's okay to feel sadness, grief, and other painful emotions, but we must strive to make these feelings temporary and return to a state of positivity and happiness as soon as possible.
By consciously choosing to change how we feel, we can solve problems that make us unhappy. A mindset of happiness doesn't mean denying reality, it means choosing to overcome situations and emotions to maintain our peace of mind.
