"Happiness is free, but it comes with a price." But then, can we really describe true happiness in words? Well, I feel that happiness is not quantifiable. It's not something that you can measure, and it's also very relative. To be happy seems not to be easy sometimes; while it can be simple, it actually takes a lot. What makes me happy might be different from what makes you happy. In other words, what I define as success for me might be different for you.
True happiness will have to come from satisfying those things that you hold in high esteem. For instance, if I have goals that I want to achieve, if I achieve them, I derive joy and happiness from them. That's my true happiness. It could be having a stable home, your career, etc. Perhaps you have a particular target in your career, and when you achieve it, true happiness emanates from there.
Life is filled with hits and dumps; we choose, design, or create our happiness by ourselves. I said "create" because when your heart is filled with the troubles of life, it becomes very difficult for you to be happy. However, you can choose the best path to follow and work towards achieving that.
The world throws a lot of things at us, but in everything, you should get on your feet and fight it. However, once you know what makes you happy, never cease to keep on doing it and always keep working towards achieving it with your full heart. Some people define happiness as seeing their family have a good life. To some people, contentment gives them true happiness. Most people see wealth as their main source of happiness. Of course, money puts smiles on our faces; it makes us happy knowing that some of our problems will be solved with it.
To me, happiness is this inner peace, joy, contentment, and fulfillment I experience amidst life's struggles.
Now, finding true happiness also differs for individuals, but I will tell you a few things that need to be in place that can really make me happy: (And at what cost?)
Having a stable home : Family is a top priority for me in achieving true happiness. And yes, I have a stable home. It takes a lot of energy, time, and sacrifice to keep my home a safe haven. This gives me undiluted happiness. Have you seen a broken home before? Is there any peace and happiness over there? Of course not, and once you don't have happiness at home, it interferes with other areas of your life. Just like I stated above, happiness is free, but it comes with a price. If I careless about my home, definitely there would be pot.holes that will deprive me of the happiness I enjoy today. Seeing my kids excel gives me true happiness; now I am investing my time, energy, and money in them to maintain this happiness, and that is the cost I am paying for it.
A flourishing business: I have set targets for building businesses that would give me financial freedom. A business that can give me passive income to meet my financial target. I do not have this now, but achieving it will definitely give me true happiness because happiness can be seen as a success. But then, at what cost? For me to achieve the level of business growth I desire, there are things I will deprive myself of. I can forgo a vacation for me and my family until I get my business to a desirable level. There are certain things I must sacrifice to achieve it, like investing my money, energy, and time. These things I can forgo in order to achieve my goal and continue to derive happiness from them. Also, I believe that as long as I keep working hard with God on my side, these will bring me lasting happiness.
In summary, no matter what meaning you attach to the word "true happiness", always strive to create the atmosphere to be happy. Never cease to do what makes you happy; keep on doing it. Life has no spare, and despite what we encounter, we all deserve to be happy🧡.
This post is in response to the #HiveLearners community contest on the topic True Happiness.
Please note: The thumbnail was designed using canva app
