What makes you HAPPY?

What makes you happy? Have you ever wondered? Have you asked yourself this question before? Or does happiness come to you in unexpected bouts of spontaneity? Falling from the sky like raindrops when you least expect it. Or appearing overhead like a rainbow to take your sorrows away.

Is it possible to discover what creates this rainbow? Is it possible to manufacture or create happiness? Would going all out to pursue happiness make me a hippie? Do we live to be happy? Or is happiness just a part of life, like all other emotions?

Are these the things that make you happy? (Not in order of preference or importance)

Love - The ONE thing most of us strive for but only a few lucky ones are able to find success in. The feeling you get when you have someone who loves you and whom you love is certainly a happy one.

Friendship - Nothing beats having a close group of friends that you can confide in and share your dreams, fantasies, failings, joys and passions with. Friends are the soulmates that make the journey of life a much happier one.

Success - This is much more difficult to define. The notion of success is subjective. But each of us would certainly have a concept of what success means to us. Be it in our work, our social life and other personal pursuits. Does being successful means that you have to be really good at something? Does being successful means that you have to be on top of everything? Questions, questions, and more questions... Does success brings happiness?

Family - Something that most of us take for granted. Especially in this era where family ties are increasingly being diluted by other modern-day distractions. Blood runs thicker than water. No matter what happens, you know your family will be there for you. Now, isn't that a happy thought?

Humour - Do we laugh because we are happy? Or do we become happy because we start to laugh? Do we laugh because it is funny? Who defines what is funny and what is not? Is there a funny side to everything? Do we have to laugh at what society allows us to or can we laugh at anything we find funny? Must we let the people around us know what we are laughing at? Or can we laugh to our hearts' content without a care in the world. Whatever it is, having a good laugh would definitely bring in more happiness.

Good Food - Yummy! A good path to happiness is the way through our stomachs. Have you felt happy after having a sumptuous meal? Did you find happiness after tasting some food that you have been craving for a long long time? Somehow, eating brings about happiness in more ways than 1. Are you like me? Do you live to eat as well? Or do you eat your way to happiness?

Money - Does being rich brings you happiness? Does money=happiness? This should be a no-brainer. Much has been debated over this. The correct answer would be: Money does not make the world go round. But it certainly makes people more fond of you. And for everything else, there's always visa.

Music - Do you enjoy listening to songs? Do you feel happy after hearing a really really good piece of music that you can identify with? Or is it the other way round? Do you listen to a happy song just because you feel happy? Or can you feel happy even if you listen to a sad, sentimental song?

Helping Others - Does being altruistic bring about happiness? Does giving others a helping hand and seeing the impact you have on them bring a smile to you? Or is it only about yourself? Me, Myself and I. If you cannot even help yourself, would you be happy helping others?

Thinking about Happiness - Does thinking about what makes you happy make you happy? Are you happier after reading this post? No? I thought so too... My happiness certainly did not increase after writing this. Or maybe you've a different experience?

hmmmm.... Much to ponder about.

Is happiness a big part of your life? If not, do you want it to play a bigger part in your life?

Happiness comes in many forms... There are different types of happiness associated with different situations. There is the adrenalin-pumping happiness when you score a goal and when you're making love. There is the soothing happiness when you're having a nice meal with your loved ones and when you know that there's always your family to turn to inspite of anything. There is the brotherly happiness that you have when you are in the midst of a talk-cock session with your close friends. There is the sense of relief type of happiness when you release your waste into the toilet bowl after keeping it at the edge for an hour. There is that ego-inducing happiness when you emerge top in a competition. There is that satisfaction type of happiness that you get when you achieved something that you have trained very hard for. There is that eureka happiness when you finally find a solution to a problem or when you finally get what you have been studying for the past few hours.

Which type of happiness do you subscribe to? Should we go all out to fight for our happiness, disregarding everything else? Or should we just go about our daily lives, confidently knowing that happiness will befall us anyhow. Or do you desire happiness at all? A sadist perhaps? Wouldn't it be ideal if we were happy all our lives? Happy all our lives?! Would we know what is happiness then? Or do we need some sorrows to help us define and appreciate what happiness is?

Happiness - Are you in need of it?

' Whistle, Whistle, Whistle'

'Don't worry be happy...'