28 July 2016
Some people, by their very nature, have a happy disposition.
Others draw their happiness and good moods from things around them; from things they see or do.
Yet others find it hard to find happiness in their lives—maybe as a result of their own personal circumstances or things which have happened to them in the recent or distant past.
I’m fortunate in that, generally, I have a positive outlook on life and find that, by and large, I am happy most of the time—in short, I enjoy my life. I do a job I enjoy and get to travel around and meet many different people from different backgrounds, areas and cultures. In fact, I can be quite self-contained and originate my happiness from within, from my day to day life and being as “normal” as life allows one to be.
Yet many other people I know can be described as being into the second category I outlined above. They need to find happiness through a variety of different ways or activities. Some people eat their favourite cakes or desserts to find fleeting happiness; others listen to their favourite music every day; whilst others may go to the gym or engage in some adventurous sport such as surfing or hang gliding to both find a thrill that they are looking for, but also to feel happy and content.
Of course, it’s not necessary to be over active to find that elusive feeling of joy and pleasure—reading a good book or watching a good film can stimulate the good feeling factor that many people crave.
There are, however, a number of people I know, who simply cannot find the key to a happy life—no matter how they try. In fact, I often wonder if either such people have some sort of suppression of their enjoyment gene in their brain that makes them unhappy. So much so that happiness for them is almost impossible to find. A little bit like running a race but the people with their happiness gene suppressed find that they are already 10 or 20 metres back before they start—and others have sprinted ahead! However. this can fortunately often be fixed.
Then there are those whose life situation gives them little cause for glee. A broken marriage or relationship; limited finances or a dead-end job where the prospects for getting ahead are limited. Sure, they will have their happy moments and pleasurable times but, often their overall demeanour and outlook are shaped by their particular circumstances.
But, having said all this it is possible to look on the brighter side of life; to seek some professional help and maybe even therapy. Yet, most of what makes us happy and/or content is inbuilt, and I often find that those people with relatively little can be happier than those purportedly with everything—or, material possessions and money do not necessarily equate to fulfilment and the ability to be able to smile once in a while.
And, oh…, if you need help in this department, don’t hesitate to call me—I’m sure I can make you smile (broadly!)… and be happy…
