Are You Happy

William Lyon Phelps once said, "The happiest are those who think the most interesting thoughts. Those who decide to use leisure as a means of mental development, who love good music, good books, and good pictures, good company, good conversation, are the happiest people in the world. And they are not only happy in themselves, they are the cause of happiness in others.~ Every person has come to make the most of their own situation, a situation where if life gives you lemons, simply make lemonade. Inevitably, it's one's own situation where friends, family, or colleagues ask you that proverbial question which primarily asks about your own happiness.

Essentially what makes a person happy is that he or she has something to do to distract one from his or her life. A person will oftentimes keep himself or herself busy and with one's particular job, that person can take the time to focus on something else. In some aspects, accomplishing a task that seemed utterly impossible can give you a sense of achievement, which can boost one's spirit. It's that sense of achievement that can also boost one's confidence and in turn give a person a better night sleep. For me personally, it's an achievement in itself to be still working in a place that even though it makes me totally insane, actually brings a smile to my face.

For most people, what makes one happy is that one tangible thing that he or she can continually hold on to and that is hope. Each of us hopefully have something to hope for in life; for it's that proverbial holy grail that one keeps focused on as he or she continually climbs that ladder of success. Yet, one will come across those Al Bundy types where all their hopes are crushed and all their happiness is replaced by broken dreams with an added mix of miserable complaining. Though you may not be an unhappy shoe salesman, one can rest in the fact that you put your nose to the grindstone, in a manner of speaking, then that something you have been hoping for will one day come true to life.

In some cases, to be happy means to have someone to love and that someone to love you back. Oftentimes, when you do meet someone, one doesn't want to mess it up to the point where you spend time analyzing what went wrong. Just move forward because he or she may not be "the one" for you. For a person to risk falling in love, then being hurt, then falling in love again can be considered the thing a person can do. For that person should feel happy because all the heartache that one went through culminated into eventually leading you to meet that one special person. In other words, a person has to have a balance of sadness and happiness and for you which side weighs more?

C.P. Snow said, ~The pursuit of happiness is a most ridiculous phrase: if you pursue happiness you'll never find it.~ Let me ask you this question, are you searching for happiness or have you already found it standing right in front of you all along? In some aspect, it's like sitting or standing in one spot for a certain period of time and familiar faces cross your paths. In a way, a person just has to sit or stand in one spot and happiness will find you, whoever he or she may be. For the most part, I am happy because I have my family, my friends, something to do to keep me busy, something to hope for, but that someone to love that's a big question mark. In the end I ask you this simple question, are you happy?