‘Happiness is, when what you think, what you say, and what you do are in harmony’- Mahatma Gandhi
This is how Mahatma Gandhi defined happiness. And this is the definition that resonates the most with me!
Honestly, there is no set definition for happiness.
Yes, you heard that right! For something as significant and as important as Happiness, there’s no standard definition that has been prescribed yet. While there are a lot of definitions, that psychologists and researchers have come up with, there is not one that has been found to be all conclusive and universally accepted.
There’s a good reason for this. Happiness is not very easy to define. There’s simply no size that fits all.
It’s highly illusive by nature. It’s a fleeting reality. Finish line of Happiness keeps moving and doesn’t remain static. It grows and evolves with time as we move along the journey called life.
Happiness is also very subjective in nature. It defers from person to person, from moment to moment. From culture to culture, from geography to geography. Research suggests that happiness a person feels after a month of winning a lottery is same as the happiness a person feels after a month he/she breaks hip joint and is on a path to recovery. This is how subjective happiness is.
We’re all in the seeker mode so far as definition per say is concerned. And when it comes to defining Happiness the mantra is – To each his own. We are all at a liberty to choose our own definition of Happiness from the plethora available.
How liberating is that!
While a lot about happiness remains a mystery, here’s what we do know about happiness.
It is opposite of unhappiness. If we avoid things we dislike, we can be happy. But the question is for how long. For how long can we avoid choosing things that make us unhappy, frustrated or agitated? Not for too long you’ll agree. Also, for How long will you remain happy after you stop doing things that make u unhappy. Not forever for sure.
So what do we do?
We create moments of happiness on a constant consistent basis by enjoying smaller joys in life while living in the present.
And that’s the beginning of finding and creating sustainable happiness.
