Happiness

What is happiness anyway? Does anyone out there really know the answer? Is it a deep-rooted feeling in your gut somewhere between chakra numbers five and six, or is it a sense of real belonging? Is it, perhaps, a feeling you get when you need not wish for anything . . . or seeing dreams come true? Is it family or total freedom with no responsibilities? Would you raise your hand when asked: are you happy?

Basic question, totally valid, yet difficult to answer.

As far as I am concerned, happiness is an image forced upon us by society. Happiness is not real, not the way we were told, anyway. You know, like being swept off your feet by Prince Charming and live happily ever after. That's what they told us, isn't it?

Married with the love of your life, 1.3 kids, dream job, a townhouse, two cars,

exotic holidays. Illusion, total nonsense, superficial bull, that's what that is. Boy did they sell us lemons for apples on that one.

It took me quite some time to figure it all out, I mean, I am, at heart, a hopeless romantic…I have this incurable faith in real love and am a sucker for a good fairytale. So, you can imagine, I was way into my adulthood before I realized the whole thing was a sham. It took a couple of husbands and some hard blows, but boy, did it dawn on me then.

You may wonder why I am bringing this up. Well, see, I have noticed there are a lot of unhappy and dissatisfied people around lately. Mind you, most with good reason… health problems, money problems, people problems, it's all out there, and, by the looks of it, more than ever before. It got me wondering why and I realized they haven't seen the light yet. They are still in Hans Christian Andersen Land.

Well, wake up and smell the coffee! This is it, my friends. This is your chance, and you're not gonna get another one!

Want to know what happiness is? It's moments, a couple of moments every single day. They can last a second, a minute and sometimes even an hour, if you're lucky. It's the sun peeping out through heavy clouds for just a minute, it's the loud laughter of your child, it's the flower your partner stole from the neighbour’s garden for you, it's the feeling you have right after you've helped someone. But most of all, it's the knowledge that your life is yours and you control your own fate. You don't like it here, get out, leave, no-one stopping you. Feel fat, go on a diet. Don't like your job, get another one…or take a special course so you can get a better job later. Don't like your friends or family, just don't call 'em anymore, they'll get the point. Don't like your face, smile a bit more often, that usually does the trick. All in all, happiness is right in front of you, there for the grabbing, you just need to make an effort and stop whining. Have trouble getting started at being happy? Try these personally-tested exercises:

-        Smile in the mirror, the person you're looking at will appreciate it

-        Read a joke on-line or watch a funny video every single day

-        Hit the snooze button one extra time, just to enjoy the coziness of your bed

-        Tickle your kids or partner for a couple of minutes…guaranteed you'll laugh

And finally, for the die-hards of miserability:

-        Hold your pee till you feel you'll explode, then go to the bathroom. That kind of release is utter happiness and can be created by you any time of day (but doesn’t tickle your mate while doing this one, or else you might….)