What makes you happy?

The sunrise and sunset. The stars. The seasons. Knowing the Creator and the Spirit Helpers. Getting rid of hate and racism. Love, honesty, beauty and the fact that we are all connected. Learning the customs and traditions of others and helping people learn to respect nature and each other.

Strip out all the BS and I will tell it straight: I want to do what ever I want without having to check my bank balance to see if I can, To have happy people around me that share the same ambitions that I do, seeing my kids experience life and being a part of thier life, Enjoying things I have worked for such as climbing on my Harley and just riding, A loving passionate woman who does not need me but chooses to be with me and is my companion and lover, shelter, food, and freewill.

ahhhhhhhhhh .. some are born without the extrimities .. no legs no arms blind or deaf.. they are happy .. I dont think that if u were born with or without these things makes a difference in your happiness I do think that the way you are taught to believe and the goals u set forth and accomplish do make a happy individual .. bad habits i do believe are all part of societies beliefs what we are taught it doesnt necessarily mean its a bad habit for all .. eg. smoke .. for the natives it is part of a sacred medicine the smoke comes from tobacco or whatever they are using so .. this bad habit to one isnt a bad habit for others ... it could be what leads some to a healthy lifestyle.....lol... just jibber jabbish I guess ..

Happiness is generic, and is applied to almost

every kind of enjoyment except that of the animal

appetites. It ia a state of well-being

characterized by emotions ranging from contentment

to intense joy. These include: bliss, joy, joyous,

carefree, jubilant, exultant, cheerful, playful,

amused, fun, glad, gay, gleeful, jolly, jovial,

delighted, euphoric, ecstatic, thrilled, elated,

enraptured, comfortable, harmonious, and

triumphant. Societies, religions, and individuals

have various views on the nature of happiness and

how to pursue it.

Only saint-like persons, who feel that they are no

longer interested in the external world, think

that happiness is within. For many persons,

nothing can make them happy. Our minds are as

different as our finger prints - no two are alike.

Listening to loud music makes one happy and makes

another unhappy. Hence, there can be no single

definition for happiness. It is probably

impossible to objectively define happiness as

humans know and understand it, as internal

experiences are subjective by nature. Because of

this, explaining happiness as experienced by one

individual is as pointless as trying to define the

color green such that a completely color blind

person could understand the experience of seeing

green.

As a state and a subject, it has been pursued and

commented on extensively throughout world history.

"Call no man happy till he is dead." - Aeschylus

"Happiness is a positive cash flow." - Fred Adler

"Many persons have a wrong idea of what

constitutes true happiness. It is not attained

through self-gratification but through fidelity to

a worthy purpose." - Joseph Addison

"True happiness arises, in the first place, from

the enjoyment of one's self, and in the next, from

the friendship and conversation of a few select

companions." - Joseph Addison

Happiness is often associated with the presence of

favourable circumstances such as a supportive

family life, a loving marriage, and economic

stability. Kali Yuga, the age of darkness, is the

time when these favourables are difficult to find.

Unfavorable circumstances - such as abusive

relationships, accidents, loss of employment, and

conflicts - diminish the amount of happiness a

person experiences. In all nations, factors such

as hunger, disease, crime, corruption, and warfare

can decrease happiness. However, according to

several ancient and modern thinkers, happiness is

influenced by the attitude and perspective taken

on such circumstances.

From the observation that fish must become happy

by swimming, and birds must become happy by

flying. Aristotle points to the unique abilities

of man as the route to happiness. Of all the

animals only man can sit and contemplate reality.

Of all the animals only man can develop social

relations to the political level. Thus the

contemplative life of a monk or professor, or the

political life of a military commander or

politician will be the happiest according to their

own psyche.

The following is the self-reported positive affect

(i.e. positive emotion) during the day by 909

employed women in USA:

Activities and their positive effect index:

Intimate relations 5.10

Socializing 4.59

Relaxing 4.42

Pray/Worship/Meditate 4.35

Eating 4.34

Exercising 4.31

Watching TV 4.19

Shopping 3.95

Preparing food 3.93

On the phone 3.92

Napping 3.87

Taking care of

my children 3.86

Computer/Email/

Internet 3.81

Housework 3.73

Working 3.62

Commuting 3.45

Interaction with partners:

w/ friends 4.36

w/ relatives 4.17

w/ spouse/Significant

other 4.11

w/ children 4.04

w/ clients/customers 3.79

w/ co-workers 3.76

w/ boss 3.52

alone 3.41

Further, happiness is not entirely psychological

in nature - it has got a biological basis too. The

neurotransmitter dopamine is involved in desire

and seems often related to pleasure. Pleasure can

be induced artificially with drugs. Use of drugs

is not some thing new, it has been used by many

including Sanyasis since millenia.

Flexibility is the cornerstone of mental health and mentally healthy people choose to be happy.

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Happiness is a state of mind.

The simple appreciation for what you have.

I have to agree with you...it's all about the health of your mental status!