Happiness

Morning!

I was pondering the concept of happiness today. I realized that moments of pure bliss are just that, moments. Short bursts of happiness. Complete and utter happiness is not a permanent state of mind. My theory is that we all have some sort of baseline happiness in our lives. You know, like when you're looking at a chart and you see the peaks and the valleys and then you see some sort of average line running straight in the middle. That would be our baseline happiness. Sometimes we are happier than average and sometimes we are not.

Does this sound depressing? That we can't handle utter bliss all the time? Well, not to worry, you see, the middle will become higher up if the peaks are more frequent. They do not necessarily have to be really high as long as they are above average.

Right now I'm trying to find more of these smaller peaks of happiness to raise the average level of happiness. Appreciating the smaller things in life. Like the flowers blossoming in the city gardens. Very pretty. A beautiful song. A hug. A smile. You know, all these little things.

This is one of the more important thoughts I've had I think. And one of the most profound insights. I mean, if I am of the opinion that the only way I'm going to be happy is by winning the lottery, then I'd be destined for a life of misery because I very rarely play the lottery. But if I am of the opinion that I should be happy because I have good friends and family and enough sense to appreciate them, then I'm probably more on the track of happiness.

This is not to say that there are issues in my life. As for everyone else there are problems to be dealt with and stress to be handled, but if I just can stop for a while and smell the magnolias and the newly mowed lawn and watch the snail trailing a path (and maybe even save it from certain death by bike) then I don't think I'm a lost cause for happiness.

What do you think?

Nina