True Happiness

Have you ever experienced True Happiness? How can you say that it was a ‘True Happiness’? Happiness is an ambiguous word which can be interpreted with a lot of meanings. According to Merriam-Webster Dictionary, “Happiness” is a state of well-being and contentment; a pleasurable or satisfying experience. Our negative emotions are taken away by our positive emotions, to the extent of contentment, which is a feeling of satisfaction or a sense of ease. This is just a simple meaning of happiness, but what then is ‘True Happiness’?

There was an article written by Bob Holmes, Kurt Kleiner, Kate Douglas, and Michael Bond (2004) which was entitled: “10 keys to True Happiness”. The first key is wealth. We all know that money can buy us happiness becauce we can get whatever we want by using it. Second is desire. If you really want to be happy, your desires are must be achieved. For example, your desire in winning the game you are to play, happiness will only be met, if you win the game we are to play. Once this desire has been met as we win the game, we feel happy. Third is intelligence. According to this article, intelligent people get better jobs and higher salaries than the ordinary ones. Therefore, they are more stable and have fewer problems since they can use their intelligence in making their plans. These first three keys are only superficial happiness. They are the happiness we attain when our needs and wants are needed. From these 10 keys to true happiness, I think true happiness can only be best achieved through their 9th key which is Charity. Sharing or giving what you have to others is a form of charity. Have you tried sharing or giving an important possession of yours, even if that thing has a sentimental value on you? Would you give it to a stranger? They said that if you try to give or share something to a stranger, you will experience a different kind of feeling, a feeling-like you are on the cloud nine floating free with bliss. This kind of happiness will not make you smile instead, will give you tears of joy. Charity can also be associated with the word ‘Love', as the second commandment states that you should “Love your neighbors as you love yourself”. Loving your neighbors is showed through sharing of blessings with them. We show generosity even if we are not getting anything in return because we do what we do out of love. That is why God made our heart, for us experience that genuine feeling in serving others, not to feel guilt, hatred and pride but to feel LOVE! In the end, the one who gives will realize that he gets more of what he shared, because a smile itself is a form of appreciation that is hard to get from others!

All things considered, we may say that true happiness doesn't ultimately come from getting the things that we want in life; for all the things we want now, we may not want tomorrow. This kind of happiness cannot be simply defined by the things that we receive. Similarly, it is in giving happiness that we receive happiness as well.

Indeed, true happiness is not just about making ourselves satisfied for the things we received but also, it is earning smiles from people we extended our hand with!

References:

Merriam-Webster’s collegiate dictionary (10th ed.). (1993). Springfield, MA: Merriam-Webster.
Bond, M., Douglas, K., Holmes, B., and Kleiner, K. (2004). 10 Keys to True Happiness. Retrieved from: http://www.rd.com/health/10-keys-to-true-happiness/