The older I get, the more I tend to forget the true meaning of certain concepts and what they actually feel like. I get clouded with so many thoughts about different aspects of my life, so much so that I forget to introspectively look at myself at times to assess my overall well-being. Generally speaking, this is "the human condition," and there are usually a lot of us that feel this way. Stepping back, taking a deep breath, analysing the state of my being, and defining myself to myself is what I'd like to do here and now.
If you bought a Samsung S23 Ultra and handed it to me, I would be quite excited about it. If you went further to ask me in that moment if I felt happy, I would likely give the same answer that many of us would, "Yes, I am happy," or a variation of it, at least. And it may seem as though my emotions may appear bright, given the circumstances, but they don't necessarily translate to defining "happiness."
Happiness, or rather, "true happiness," is a deeply personal and subjective experience that varies from person to person. We are all built differently, have had different experiences in this life, make inherently self-concerned decisions sometimes, and therefore come to different conclusions on different matters. What's a priority for one may not even make the list for the other.
For me, when my life aligns with my values, passions, and meaningful relationships, there can exist a state of fulfilment and contentment that I would call "true happiness." It feels rather like an ideal state as I keep juggling through life and its contingencies, and so things never really happen as I expect or plan, thereby leading me far away from this true happiness that I speak of.
However, am I really being led away by the happenings of this life, or am I actually just being distracted, blinded, and having my mind clouded by the seemingly great mountains that seem hard to climb? Failing to see the good within it all and be generally thankful for the many things that I do not deserve but get is exactly what takes me away from this state of "true happiness."
To reach this state, though, there needs to be an alignment of my life with my values, passions, and meaningful relationships. And, considering that one cannot always be in this state or feel like it, developing a dynamic balance and reassessing oneself every now and then would go quite a long way in providing one with stability to some degree.
Meaningful relationships
I am not sure about the rest of the world, but the kinds of people I meet, interact with, and make friends with are imperative for me to assess and scrutinize. I naturally don't get too close to people, but I am relearning things about the power of good relationships and the positive impacts they can have on one's life.
What we perceive around us generally affects our thoughts and emotions to various degrees. In the same vein, the people we spend our time with, have conversations with, and share our values with have some level of impact.
For me to regularly reach this state of "true happiness," the relationships I maintain have to be meaningful. Thankfully, the people I have in my life are the kind I consider myself blessed with. There are certain individuals that just somehow have this effect on one that helps one get a solid grip on their purpose and aspirations. For one, Fangy be making me reach higher potentials lately, and I am more in sync with myself, in a fresh kind of joy, when I'm with them. I cherish that, and them as well.
Values
I believe everyone has principles and morals that they hold for themselves, although with varying degrees of concordance with general life ethics. Personally, I hold quite a number of values. The more I continue to breathe air in this life and stay in tune with these values of mine, the easier it is to be at peace with myself and reach that state of, you know, true happiness. Turbulence in my spirit would occur if violations of my values sprung up.
Passion
My heart burns for a number of things. It is my aspiration to explore my potential in certain aspects of this life. What life would I have lived if I had left those potentials untapped? Engaging in the activities that align with my passion would not only bring me joy and happy thoughts but also provide me with a sense of purpose.
The list can go on and on about the things that need to be in place to achieve this state of "true happiness," but I think it's established already. And, considering how this life is and will always be, I will always get on and off this state regularly—as it is normal—but I can try to stay closer to staying there by reminding myself regularly how to get there. It'll last for as long as I make it.
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