What is happiness?

It is raining plenty in Trinidad today. I am watching youtube and came across this question. What is happiness? I could answer this with one or two sentences but I am challenging myself to say more with this blog post. To me, happiness is that good feeling I get when things are going good. When I am enjoying what I am doing. The absence of stress and worries. To be able to see the good in spite of the bad. To be content. To appreciate the small things.

One way to explain something is by giving examples. So here goes. Happiness is leaving home early on a Friday to get down to the port to wait for the 5pm fast ferry to Tobago. Happiness is a perfectly ripe Starch mango dripping down my hands as I make a meal of it. Happiness is not only selfish. Helping someone in need also makes me feel happy. Seeing others win at life is also a treat. Happiness was seeing Manchester City beat Man United 6 - 3 in the derby.

It is said that we cannot have a rainbow without the rain. There is no light without darkness. No good without the bad. That is the nature and design of our existence. Life is a test. I must ride out the storms of sadness. I must overcome the hard times. I must turn the bad into good. I must make the best of the situations. Happiness is repairing broken plumbing. Happiness is fixing a broken friendship. Happiness is a cold and long shower after a long day of errands.

Happiness can mean many things and different things to different persons. Happiness can change and there can be things that no longer make us happy. Then we don't want our happiness to be someone's sadness. A neighbour's loud music and drunk party scene can be stress for others. Happiness is a journey and not a destination. Then there is the often repeated phrase, all good things must come to an end.

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