The Persuit of Happyness

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This piece stems from a conversation I had with a friend the other day. Out of the blue, he asked me, “What does happiness mean to you?” Honestly, I was caught off guard and didn’t know how to answer. I even stuttered a bit before saying something like, “Happiness is when you’re mentally healthy, your needs are met, you’re physically healthy, and you get what you want.”
But as soon as I said it, I questioned myself: “Is that really true?”

I realized that I’ve never actually defined what “happiness” means to me. For the longest time, I thought happiness was just about encountering or experiencing pleasant things—like buying something from my wishlist (on the material side) or receiving a compliment (on the non-material side). But now I’m starting to wonder: Are those really happiness? Or are they just fleeting moments of pleasure?

For the next two days, I couldn’t stop thinking about it. I even searched online to see what others had to say about happiness. Some said, “Happiness is the feeling you get when you find meaning in something.” Others argued, “Happiness is when your life aligns with your purpose, so to be happy, you first need a clear life goal.” Then there’s the idea that “happiness is a journey, not a destination.” Another perspective said, “Happiness is something you create, not something you find.” And finally, one that struck me: “Happiness is the ability to be content with whatever God has given you.”

I resonated with most of these perspectives. In a way, they’re all interconnected and complement one another. After some reflection, I decided to define happiness for myself. For me, happiness is the feeling that comes when I can accept and find meaning in whatever happens in my life—whether it’s something I wanted or not.

Happiness, I think, also involves recognizing God’s hand in every event. When I can embrace what happens and create meaning from it, that’s when I feel truly happy. So, does feeling happy mean I’m actually happy? Not necessarily. I can feel happy about something meaningless or temporary. But happiness, to me, should be something deeper and more enduring.

Will this definition stay the same forever? Probably not. But for now, this is what I believe.

I hope that anyone reading this can also discover what happiness means to them.

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