Everyday Canvas

Happiness is Elusive

Prompt: Most of the happy people I know do one thing really well. Think about the people in your life do you agree or disagree? What do you think inspires their happiness? What do you do to inspire your own?

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Happiness is elusive; there one day, gone the next. For example, I had an uncle who was joyful, fun-loving, and usually saw the best in everyone, and he was a clown who made us laugh with his jokes. Then, one day, he lost a teenage son to an accident, and all that happiness was erased in one day. It took him more than a decade to find his footing again.

Mostly though, the seemingly happy people I have met are multifaceted, even though every one of them are unique individuals. If I were to think of some common traits among them probably their positive thinking would become the top item in such a list.

Seeing the good in challenging situations or at least seeing the positive outcome out of them can significantly influence one's overall sense of well-being. Because of their positivity and adaptability to life's ups and downs, such people also have healthy relationships in their lives. They communicate effectively, resolve conflicts, and offer support to others if or when it is needed.

Still, no matter how one tries, some human beings may not react nicely to such positivity. Then, happier people are better off staying away from negative people and negative situations. Thus, staying away from the negatives is an essential part of one's happiness.

Happier people also live in the present moment more, rather than dwelling in the wrongs of the past while they take good care of their physical and mental health. This makes them become emotionally intelligent, which means seeing themselves as is and understanding and forgiving past mistakes. This helps them grow as individuals, and lets them align their values and beliefs in an authentic way.

Then, helping others when they can and practicing gratitude in some way for all that they have, no matter how small what they have may be, helps them to bounce back from adversity and become resilient. In addition, continuous learning, new languages, being curious of all aspects of life, knowledge, and hobbies can enrich their lives.

As for me, I believe in keeping busy and in continuous learning and in practicing some of the habits I mentioned above. Not that I expect to be happy all the time, but at least I can stop myself from falling into desperation and panic in any one negative situation.

While there is no one-size-fits-all formula for happiness--and I doubt that any one person can be happy all the time--, some good habits can be helpful for enhancing one's overall satisfaction with life.


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