Oxbow Park, MN
I wanted to wish you a Happy New Year on the New Year’s Day, but after I wrote the title “Happy New Year”, I wasn’t sure that I really knew what “happiness” was. Quite a while ago, Chris asked us “What is Happiness?” I remember it took me a while to come up with an answer. I wrote, “Happiness is a word, which is used to describe a certain mental state. When you are in that state, you feel good and maybe even a little excited. ” But, is that it?
I thought a smart thing to do would be to write a list of things that had made me happy in 2014 and then study it. I remember one day while vising my nephew’s family, I got up and saw the morning sun shining on trees and I was happy. I remember how excited and happy I was when I saw a LED kite flying high in the sky the first time in my life. How about the time sitting next to my daughter at a movie theater watching “Big Hero 6”, I heard her laugh — no hesitation and no reservation, and I felt happy?
After coming up with a list, I was still a little confused. 😉 Each situation on my list seems having a little different attribute in it. And at the same time, they are similar in an unexplainable way. So, I thought maybe the next thing to do was to list things that didn’t make me happy. One thing quickly came to my mind was the interior design work we had done last year. For many years, vertical blinds were the only window treatment we had in our house (a typical Chinese way to decorate windows). I thought it was about time for us to “upgrade” to curtains, and maybe rearrange our living room furniture a little bit. After spending more-than-I-would-like-to money, we have new curtains, and an area rug. I like the new look (I really do), but, for some reason, it doesn’t make me happier. The new backpack I bought, again, doesn’t really make me happier even though I do like it a lot.
Now that I have come up with two lists, I expect a magic moment, thinking for sure everything would be clear to me now, but it doesn’t happen that way. What do you do when you need help?
Yes, you are right — I googled. And my dear friends, I can’t tell you how happy I am to find this web page: What Is Happiness. I hope you like it too.
Now, I can finally, honestly say “Happy 2015” to you all! 😉
HHC Blog 
Thank you, Helen! I like your find! 🙂
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Thanks, Pike. I am surprised that what this article says is pretty much the same with what I have experienced. Amazing. Helen
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Happy New Year to you, Helen! It makes me very happy to see your post–I was hoping everything was OK and you were taking a much needed break before we get back into the swing of things.
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Thanks, Lois. I need more time! 😉 I have spent some time studied Buddhism recently – found a couple of great teachers so I decided to take an advantage of that. And my husband had a minor eye surgery.
I could do some photo challenge, but I really wanted to write this piece. Ha. Like you said, hopefully we will get back into the swing of things. 😉 Helen
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Hi Helen, so nice to hear from you! Happy New Year to you… I equate happiness with contentment and peacefulness. When I am content within and feeling settled I tend to feel happier. This all may not be in the books in theory but it is how I look at life… (:
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Hello, Roberta, thank you! I can see that you really understand what happiness is. My mistake was I didn’t associate that peacefulness within me with happiness. Now I know better 😉 Still, that article has a lot of good information on what researchers have done to study the subject. I found t quite interesting. Helen
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I really like how happiness was described. The freedom of doing what we want to do can bring us happiness. Thank you for sharing your happy moments and thoughts, Helen! 🙂
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Thanks, Amy. Be-happy is my recent project. 😉 The article said that 40 percent of being happy is under our own control, which is similar to what I’ve learned from studying Buddhism recently. I am fascinated by this 😉 Helen
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Hope to read about your Buddhism study in the future. 🙂
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It’s not easy to understand you know 😉 I have asked a lot of questions and I hope I will get it one of these days 😉 Helen
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Perhaps, each stage of this learning journey can open the gate for understanding. I admire you taking such an effort.
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Helen, you are one popular happy person. Seeing a post from always makes me happy. I find happiness isn’t the big things. Yes they may bring comfort and accomplishment, but it is the little day to day things that keeps a smile on my face. I can’t forgot the spiritual aspect of happiness either … in inner glow, glory, content and happiness. Happy New Year to you and your husband.
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Cee, I have a lot to work to do on this subject 😉 You are right about that quite often it’s the small thing that make us happy. Still, I want to know exactly what those small things are. 😉 One thing for sure is that I am happy to read your comment 😉 Will email you later. Helen
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A very happy and blessed new year to you and your also. TY for sharing this link.
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Thank you, Ruth. I found the web site very informative and inspirational. I hope you like it, too. Best wishes for you and your family. Helen
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Thank you so much for the pingback. I fell like I know you because Cee is always talking about you. She values your friendship a lot.
The thing that is funny about happiness is that adults tend to approach it like an examination in school. We think there must be some magical correct answer somewhere and we must ferret it out before the teacher tells us to put our pencils down. We immediately think of all the ways that we aren’t happy, as if doing the subtraction will reveal the answer. Aren’t we silly?
I’ve found that the magical moments are to be cherished but not constantly expected in life, otherwise they’d just become ordinary. It’s the little things we chance upon accidentally that matter the most to me. Sun breaking through the rain clouds, or the winter day when we saw a yellow rose still blooming when all the other flowers had died. Yellow roses are my favorite flowers, so that made me very happy.
I wish you much happiness in this new year.
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Hello, Chris, do you know that if I hadn’t read your blog, I wouldn’t blog so often and happily? I would still hide in my corner and only come out once in a while…You gave me reason to take the first step and Cee provided me all the encouragement I need to continue the journey. I deeply appreciate both of you.
You are right that quite often it’s a small thing that makes us happy. My experience told me the same thing. But I would like to know if my experience is similar to other’s or it is just me. And this article answers many of my questions. So, I am happy…
I wish you and Cee have a great 2015! And thank you! Helen
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I am humbled and honored. Thank you for telling me that. So often I feel like a little voice that no one is listening to. I need to write a blog on Self-Cultivation and dedicate it to you.
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Hi Helen,
I do believe Happiness is different for different people. But I strongly agree that 40% (I think more) of being happy is a choice. No matter what happens “to us” we get to choose how to react to it.
Happy New Year my friend!!
Tree
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Hello, Tree. I agree with what you said that happiness is different for different people. The funny part of that 40% is that now whenever I am not happy, I immediately question if this unhappiness is in that 40% or the other 60% 😉 Helen
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G’day Helen,
I have been off the blogging scene for a few weeks myself & judging by some of the above remarks so have you, It’s nice to get back to friends after a break away, I won’t get into the happiness thing too deeply as I really do believe our own attitude and acceptance of things in general contributes to and promotes our fellings of happiness, also watching two puppies playing with one pice of rope goes a long way in that direction as well, Happy New year to you 🙂
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Good morning, Wendy. It’s good to be back and good to have you back. I have learned that even though I love blogging so much, I still need breaks from time to time 😉
You were right that our attitude and acceptance of things contribute to our feelings of happiness. I have a worrying-gene, so there is some work for me to do to stop worrying too soon and let things happen 😉 Have a great 2015! Helen
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I enjoyed reading your thoughtful comments on the very common topic of happiness. It is bandied about all the time, yet some people simply cannot be happy, cannot choose happiness, due to some sort of inborn trait. The doctors may call it “clinical depression” or “personality disorder”. It is one of the saddest things in the world to be close to someone like this. Every day, I am grateful that although I, too, have unhappy moments, the simplest thing can bring me joy. Some people do not have this experience. I am happy about the start of the new year, 2015, even though it means I am getting older.
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Carol, I am glad that you are a happy person 😉 Me, too. I have been depressed before. It took me a while to understand that while working hard for the roles I have been given… student, daughter, wife, mother… a lot of time, I ignored my own needs. For example, writing makes me happy, but for many years I was busy with my roles and didn’t have any time to write. That was my problem. Helen
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Yes, I have been depressed, at times, as well. My mother and daughter suffer from this too. I have moments where nothing I do seems meaningful anymore. Luckily, those moments don’t last too long these days.
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Carol, maybe we can help each other. Next time when you depress, email me! I hope it won’t happen. I am saying this just in case. And if I depress, I will send you a message too. 😉 Love, Helen
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