HAPPINESS IS…

A few months ago somebody asked me what does happiness mean to you? and ever since then I’ve been thinking about it. What does happiness truly mean? Some may say happiness means family, friends, loving and being loved, while for others it’s doing what you love, enjoying a good book or going on a road trip. Based on the answers 15 people of different ages from around the world gave me when I asked them what happiness means to them I’ve came to the conclusion that it’s something different for each one of us and it’s the feeling we all strive for, because it makes us feel alive.

„I’m happy when mommy and daddy and my sister come to my room and play with me and we watch cartoons and eat chocolate.” (Robert, 4, Germany)

„I love going outside to play with my friends. We usually play hide and seek and we talk about everything! Look, my best friend made me a friendship bracelet and I’m so happy because now I know that she will be my best friend forever.” (Emma, 7, Romania)

„Happiness is a very addictive feeling. For me it comes from little things, like a good morning text, or when people listen to my weirdest stories. I am happy when I sit next to the Christmas tree and just watch the fairy lights shining. I am happy when I get a hug. I am happy when I see people smiling!” (Oana, 16, Romania)

„It’s such a common answer, but I find happiness in little things, like having a cup of coffee with a friend, hugging my loved ones, taking a walk, travelling or enjoying the company of my puppy. I don’t know, I try to find happiness even in the darkest times. ” (Andi, 17, Romania)

„Coming from a family where I was pampered and given all the freedom I needed with my views, academics, beliefs, etc., there’s nothing more than seeing my mother smile that can give me peace & happiness. Happiness for me is about creating a vibe to us, also seeing joy in other human’s smiles. For me, it is about that smile of my mom that evolves my perspective on life, people and God. In my worst phases of depression and anxiety, she has always be there to uplift her son, always been there to tell me that it was all going to work out my way. In times of utter joy where I would come home holding my report card, cheered up at finding good grades inside it, she has been there to hug me and tell me I deserved it. Time when I crashed my father’s car one day before my sister’s wedding, she was there to tell me that it wasn’t my fault while everyone blamed me for creating a stressful vibe. In all of these moments and many more I have seen my mother cheering for me, uplifting me, motivating me, but what was common in all of these times was her smile. That smile of hers resembling the freshly bloomed flowers after the touch of spring season. That smile means the world to me and because of all the happy times that were sparkled and the sad moments that were ignited because of just that small facial gesture of hers, I believe that my mother’s smile is all I want to cherish through the day as it is what happiness is about for me. Living the small moments with the same enthusiasm as the large moments & finding happiness, meaning and depth in everything is what happiness means to me. It’s about exploring the unseen and taking all the good in. Happiness could be anything from seeing someone happy to helping someone in times of need.„ (Rohit, 18, India)

„I don’t know what to say, happiness is something you can’t define, you only can feel it.” (Andrea, 21, UK)

„I think happiness is being at peace with yourself, because in the end all that matters is that you’ve lived your life and you did your best. Also, happiness for me is feeling safe,  and I haven’t felt safe lately, because the situation in our country is not the best. I’ll just do my best to keep my baby safe and my loved one close, hoping that nothing bad will happen.” (Aseel, 23, Syria)

„Happiness to me would be not having anyone stress me out, put me down, critique me… Just being able to be myself without  judgement and be with those I love and care about.” (Elizabeth, 26, USA)

„Happiness means to me being content in with what you have in life BUT looking forward to the changes the future may bring.” (Patty, 35, USA)

 „It is a hard question. What’s happiness? I think it’s all about being content with what you have, and by that I’m saying that having a lovely family and some good friends is what I need to be happy!” (Anna, 45, Hungary)

  „I don’t even know what happiness is and I’m in my seventies. Little things, like having coffee or dinner with my grandchildren, my animals, watching the TV, going on a walk (a short one because I’ve got arthritis). When you get old you’ll understand what I will say now: all we have are memories. The best advice I could give you is to live life to the fullest, because when you’ll be my age you’ll be happy to have so many lovely memories!” (Aurora, 73, Romania)

„I think happiness means telling stories to my grandchildren. Of course, some of them I made up for their entertainment, but most of them are about my life, and they seem to love it because they laugh every time. They’re always listening and I can see in their eyes that they’re interested in hearing my stories, isn’t that lovely?” (Alexandru, 83, Romania)

„Happiness is when what you think, what you say, and what you do are in harmony.”

(Mahatma Gandhi)