By definition, being happy should be fun, not work. So let’s go have some fun…
It is good to understand that there are two kinds of happiness. They are so similar, it can be hard to tell them apart at times.
One type of happiness I call Situational Happiness. Like a first kiss with a new boy you like, or heading down a steep roller coaster, or surfing a great wave, or watching your child ride a bike with no training wheels for the first time. As you can imagine, the list of things that can cause Situational Happiness is nearly endless, so there is no shortage of opportunities.
The other type of happiness, I call True Happiness.
Don’t let the names confuse you. They are both important in your life. True Happiness is like waking up almost every morning excited about the day ahead even before you have thought about what kind of day it is likely to be. Sometimes it is said that the people who have a high level of True Happiness see the ‘glass half full rather than half empty’. But actually these people are happy when the glass is one quarter full, or an eighth full, or… I think you get it.
These people are happy with who they are and the life they are living (given the circumstances they are living in, almost no matter what those circumstances are.) So to maybe explain how these two forms of happiness work together, it might be like the ocean. Waves (like Situational Happiness) can come up high on shore and once they end, the water recedes back. But if you raise the whole water level/tide (True Happiness) then even the smaller waves come up higher on the shore.
One more note — happiness is one of those emotional feelings that are hard to describe. Happiness feels different for different people who show it in different ways. But in the end, we all know what happiness is.”
So, there are two kinds of happiness. “So What and Who Cares?” would be my best critics first response. He always ‘cuts to the chase’. And he should.
Me with friend’s dog on Salt Spring Island, British Columbia, Canada
By realizing the difference between Situational Happiness and True Happiness, you should be able to give each type the proper respect. There is nothing wrong with enjoying Situational Happiness. You can see lots of it when a sports team wins a Championship. And then comes True Happiness. The Golden State Warriors showed both right on the surface this June. They reveled in their win. They ‘called out’ their nay-sayers and popped a lot of champaign. But right in the midst of the situational celebration, they showed the deep friendships that have held this team together. The love and trust in each other which was both on and off the court. The ‘tide’ of true happiness was there too.
The same is true for you. In the midst of the situational highs and lows that come with every life, you can build a life full of True Happiness.
