Wikipedia defines happiness as "a mental or emotional state, including positive or pleasant emotions ranging from contentment to intense joy". Hap is the Old Norse and Old English root of happiness, and it just means luck or chance, same as the Old French heur, from which we derive bonheur, good fortune or happiness. German gives us the word Gluck, which still means both happiness and chance. Hindi gives us Khushee, which translates to pleasure, enjoyment, luxury, delight and ease.
There is a theory that suggests happiness can be described as three distinct elements, which are more measurable and definitive than "happiness":
1) Positive Emotion meaning what we feel - pleasure, rapture, ecstasy, warmth, comfort. When we go on a holiday, spend time with friends, win the lottery we're experiencing that sense of positive emotion.
2) Engagement which is about being in flow with creative pursuits, sports, writing, painting, playing an instrument - pursuits where one loses sense of time and self. In this state the person becomes a part of the action and cannot separate the element from themselves. This is the zone of individual creativity.
3) Meaning which is always in relation to someone or something else, a purpose bigger than oneself.
Because happiness is specific to each individual person, there cannot be one thing that makes every single person on earth happy. Indeed, each person experiences happiness in their own way which leads them down a road detailing their own joy.
After all this, you might be asking how we define happiness. For us it is simply when reality winds up exceeding expectations.
We can't wait to hear your "ahhhh" moments. Your stories of reality exceeding your expectations.
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