Happiness is a positive emotional state, defined differently for each individual. How do you define happiness? What are the "signs" of happiness for you? If I centralize all your answers, I'm sure we get a very wide variety of explanations.
Essentially, happiness means experiencing more positive emotions, few negative emotions, and generally having a sense of satisfaction in life. Although well-being is influenced by genetic and biological factors, but we have more control over the way we feel than most people think.
The influence of money on happiness is far overestimated. More and more people bring their unhappiness because of the lack of money or of various material goods. The results of research in the field show that once the poverty line is overcome, the growth of material welfare does not necessarily make us happier. We can say poverty leads to unhappiness, but wealth does not guarantee happiness.
So going on holiday or driving a less expensive car is no reason not to be happy. In the end, we are the ones who bind ourselves to the state of good things. Of course, money and goods can also influence our state of well-being in a positive sense, especially as we open the door to new experiences, but it is our choice if their lack makes us unhappy.
Even if your expectations are well over what's happening in your life, include in your life as many activities that make you happy. What things do you like to do every day? What does it mean for you to have a good day? What was the best day of your life? What are the activities that "give you energy"?
Identify the things you like and include them as often as you like in your everyday life. Time spent with friends, a hug, a walk in the park or a trip to the mountains, a good book, a movie or a passion we cultivate are things we can enjoy with little money.
The way you think has a huge impact on how you feel. Many times, not situations or things in themselves make us feel happy or not, but how we relate to them, the significance that we attribute to them. For example, if you are going to go on holiday, and the hotel you made does not show that in the pictures on the internet you can choose to be disappointed or enjoy the places you visit, the beautiful weather, the beach and the time spent with loved ones who accompany you.
Of course, things are not always that simple and that we can face more difficult situations and serious personal problems, such as the loss of a loved one or the lack of a source of income. Being confronted with difficult situations or having a bad day does not mean that we are generally unhappy. Continue to believe that the events you are confronted with, genetic inheritance, childhood, or people around you are the only ones responsible for your well-being, that means you can not do anything, which is infirmed by research in the field, nor does it bring you any benficiu.
Learn to appreciate what you already have. If you tend to think that only things that you will not make you happy, you will live in a constant state of dissatisfaction. There is nothing wrong with always wanting new things to make plans and projects, but you can be happy and if you manage to achieve your goals and things you want. Create a habit of reflecting on the positive aspects of your life (health, family, freedom, friends, etc.) and keep a journal where you can write down the things you are grateful for every day.
We are the ones who finally decide what it means to be happy and have control over our well-being. It is important to pay attention to the good things in our lives, not just to those we lack.