The meaning of happiness stands difderrnt to differrnt people. While some prioritize family, some may prefer to earn money, while some finds solace in travel. Sometimes it is pretty difficult to judge when the person is really happy. There are numerous signs of happiness include, it includes, "Going with the flow, Being proud of others' achievements, Living in the present, and Knowing how to calm down when stressed". When a person is happy when he/she is content with their life. I have been in similar situation with varying meaning of happiness.
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Before to proceed with my personal experince, let's understand the differrnt scenarios when a person could be assumed to be leading happy life.
Relationships : Spending time with friends and family, or having meaningful connections with others, can provide support, enrichment, and value.
Self-care : Practicing self-care routines, getting enough sleep, and exercising regularly can promote wellness and rest, reduce stress, and increase satisfaction.
Gratitude : Being thankful for the good things in life, even the things we often take for granted, can increase happiness and life satisfaction.
Mindfulness : Practicing meditation, mindfulness, or writing down feelings can help rewire the brain for happiness.
Purpose and goals : Having clear goals and a sense of purpose can give direction and a feeling of accomplishment.
Flexibility and resilience : Being able to adapt to change and bounce back from adversity is important for maintaining long-term happiness.
Other things : Doing charitable donations or volunteer work, giving compliments, or finding hobbies that bring joy can also make people happy.
In my case, it took me long to understand the real happiness. I lived in differrnt situation and each time I was consider myself happy, but it was not actually.
Money - There was time when I see people were running after money, I too joined the race and started to earn handsomely. I was happy to find the influence of money in my life. I was free to spend as per my wish but soon I realised in process of earning I left behind many importsnt things and even had to compromise on many things. I was not satisfied.
Movies To get out of the unsatisfied tate of mind, I started going to movies. There was a time when I used to watch 3 movies in a day. But again I was not relived at all. I felt lonely and bore from watching movies. Again I was not happy.
Travel Soon I started to join groups for travelling. I took many trips and it can make me happy a lot. It gives me immense satisfaction exploring differrnt culture and lifestyle and new places. I was more relaxed and happy to enjoy life. It does had a positive effect on my state of mind. But I can not be travelling 24*7. And there is a family to look after.
Family The moment I decided to shift my well of citylife to my native village, I was surrounded by doubts and unclear thoughts. I was no where, but my parents condition was asking me to be with them at their old time. I left and moved ahead in life looking for some more alternatives of happiness. And it comes out to be a nice move. After initial hiccups, I was more happy then before. Being under the grace of parents is quite a happy time. Every moment spent with them were priceless. Watching them laughing and smiling in olden times was too delightful. I was more content with small lifestyle. No movies, money or travel but I was more satisfied, happy and enjoying every moment.
It did not took me long to understand that, being with closed one gives a great sense of belongingness. I had nothing but still mere Being with them gives immense satisfaction and I understood the real meaning of happiness. If you have a loving and supporting family then there is nothing that could spoil the happiness.