Do I even know what happiness is?

This topic is extremely deep and without boundaries, and will always be a slave to perception. Yet, I feel that there are certain aspects which are generic in nature, and can be used for oneself.  As with everything, this has been thought of before. I am not the first person to question the theory of happiness, nor will I be the last one. Some of the great philosophers and thinkers of our time have dealt exclusively with this topic.
It is now believed that there are 2 main ‘views’ of happiness – namely hedonic and eudaimonic views. Now what these fancy sounding terms mean is this: Hedonic is generally the maximization of pleasure with minimization of pain, while eudaimonic focuses on meaning and the individual’s pursuit of self-actualisation.
Is it true that if we only have pleasure in life while simultaneously achieving all our goals will result in true happiness? Do we have to know pain to know pleasure? Does your perception dictate your reality?

These are all questions which I feel need to be looked at in more depth to gain a better understanding of happiness. Since I am no philosopher, nor a regurgitating author, I will try and add my own spin to this really paradoxical question, and in the process raise a few questions of my own.
Ask somebody what the happiest moment of their life was.

No doubt the classic options: birth of my child, graduation, making that financial milestone or marriage will be told with teary eyes and/or convicted gusto. Now these same people are in the pursuit of constant happiness, true happiness or whatever you want to call it. Why then, is their happiest moment not the full and complete realization that they are actually alive?
As soon as people understand that happiness is a series of moments, and not a full time thing, the happier they will be.

 Happiness is a state of mind! Not an event!

 Without sadness, we won’t have a basis to determine whether we are happy or not. Sadness is part of life, and must be embraced for what it is. Your thoughts and feelings dictate your state of mind and not the pleasures you bestow on your body.

 Are we just striving for virtue? Do we want the approval of our peers? Or will our happiness be complete once we have dominated all external forces acting upon us, an almost Friedrich Nietzsche ‘will to power’. To quote the great philosopher: “You great star, what would your happiness be had you not those for whom you shine?” Indeed, I believe that true happiness is with the sharing and unified presence of loved ones. There is nothing better than spending a Sunday afternoon with the family, chilling out and not thinking.
I plan to continue with this train of thought, but would love to have your opinions in the meantime.
What is your true definition of happiness?
Much love,
AK

“Whaddya mean…??? This IS my happy face!”

Now with the advent of technology, the internet and late night TV, the masses have begun to question the bigger picture. Change Agents like Tony Robbins have convinced us all that you can do whatever you want in life, and achieve Health Wealth and Happiness all in the same step. After some thought, I have realised that he does indeed have a point. Our perceptions and circumstances dictate our reality, and to each of us our situation is relative. A possible reason for our forefathers’ morbidity is because they were restricted and had no attractive future prospects. We are now taught from a young age to be unique, follow our dreams, live with passion, do what you love and be the most you can be.

This then leaves us with the question – HOW?

Essentially, we need to first define happiness before we can conquer the how aspect, and considering that happiness is so elusive to define, we are in a bit of a pickle.

This blog will discuss the topic of happiness and my proposed suggestions of how to achieve it. I aim to look at all the things that make up this conundrum of life, and give hints and tips on how YOU can make happiness a reality. As I mentioned earlier, perceptions are your reality, so every one of us will have a different idea of what happiness really is.

I have found a solid direction of how to achieve my happiness, and want to share these ideas with you. Some of them you will be able to identify with, some maybe not. I will share with you the Core Reason for my Happiness. I am no life guru or life coach, I am just a normal guy that wants to share my experiences with you.

Keep an eye out for me on this crazy web. I always try to associate myself with like-minded people, and avoid those with negative attitudes. So if you are a cool person and also have something to say leave a comment and let’s start contributing to a Healthier, Wealthier and Happier society.