The Art of Happiness

The experience of pleasure or happiness is one of those general terms we use to say, "I feel good emotionally." People use different terms to describe what feels good for them. For someone it might be excitement, passion, exhilaration, fulfillment, freedom, feeling fully alive with inspiration and joy. For another it might be more peaceful, content, capable, hopeful, satisfied, and comfortable feeling. Whatever you call it, it just feels darn good.

Our natural state of being is to be happy. When you remove all the uncomfortable emotions we humans can experience (and they are numerous), you're left with happiness. So it's easiest to define happiness by what it is not.

Every human that has ever existed has had happiness as their ultimate goal in life. Pretty bold statement, huh? When you put the emphasis on “ultimate”, I think you’ll find the statement is true.

What is the purpose or meaning of your life? Is your life for you to be happy, or would you prefer your life be for something else? Would that make you happy? Whatsoever you seek, you seek the cessation of unhappiness and the satisfaction of happiness.

Your core motivation to be happy is surrounded by layers of other desires. Like an onion, you must first peel away the layers to reach the core. Let's look at an example.

Happiness does not always appear to be obvious goals because of the intermediate goals we believe are necessary to achieve happiness. But in the end, we do what we do to feel good. More ...Getting & Staying Happy.pdf