May You Know the Meaning of the Word Happiness
Happiness, I think, is such a difficult thing to pin down. I have tried and tried to write something about it all last night and all day today, but I keep rewriting and erasing, rewriting and erasing…
I think it’s because happiness looks different to everyone. It’s not always the same for even one person. Something that made you happy the first time around doesn’t necessarily make you happy the second time. Happiness can disappear in a fraction of a second, but it can also come from a completely unexpected source. It’s a magically satisfying yet fleeting sensation.
With something so indefinite, maybe we are doing ourselves a disservice by “pursuing” it. Maybe we’d be much better off if we just accept it as something to appreciate whenever and wherever it pops up.
After all, you can’t understand happiness by simply reading the dictionary definition. In order for you to truly know the meaning of the word, it needs to be felt deep within, while you are present in the moment.
So, if I can give any advice at all to someone who is searching for “happiness”, then it would be to stop looking. Instead, pay attention to the here and now, so that you can recognize the feeling for what it is.
“May you know the meaning of the word, happiness.” – Jason Mraz, an excerpt from the song Have It All