Do We Earn Happiness?

Now there is a question for you.

Other than a speed bump every once in a while I'm pretty happy. As I blogged about the other day I believe that things and people don't really make you happy. They might enhance your state of happiness but that really isn't what you strive for. I'm happy and at the moment I'm securing my financial future which will enhance my happiness! If I were unhappy I'd be just as unhappy then no matter my finances.

Everyone strives for the emotion of happiness and in our society, well in every society from history's pages, people tend to get it turned around. They essentially quest for things that they believe will make them happy while missing out on all of the opportunities around them that would give them the feelings they crave.

Happiness can be small everyday things, my coffee card for example. I'm very happy when it gets filled up so I get a free cup. Its not a mansion, a fast car, nor a massive yacht but a simple yellowish card with ink stamps on it.

I essentially earn those stamps by going into that one shop every morning. I do believe that when you earn something it does give you a better idea of happiness well along with accomplishment and self worth.

So why aren't more people happy? I do believe it stems from the idea that things make you happy as I said earlier. Once you have X then you feel Y, when the new wears off of Y you are back to getting X again.

Now this is kind of Pollyannaish but notice the small things around you. Watch the Sun rise and set. Notice the marks on the Moon. Look at the leafs on the ground. Walk around and notice the Fall colors. Simple but they will earn you a bit of happiness.

Sometimes there are people who are just happy being miserable though. They continually have a bad day and want you to know about it. Every detail of it. As if sharing their misery wasn't enough they want you to be just as miserable. I believe I've blogged about this as well but a while ago, they are just comfortable being unhappy. They feel maybe that they are unworthy of being happy or being happy is too much work. Who knows but it doesn't mean you have to follow their lead.

So take one part of being aware of things around you, add in some small action of some sort, stir and enjoy.