What is the secret to happiness?

Maybe there’s a better question.

Is there a secret to happiness?

If there is, I’m almost certain it’s not a one size fits all secret.

But, let me add to the mix and ask additional happiness related questions.

Is happiness a worthy goal in itself?

What does happiness look like?

When did you learn about happiness?

Chasing happiness is a tricky endeavor because it’s such an ephemeral emotion. You might know when you experience it, but so often it slips away just as fast as it arrived.

I know that there’s a lot of external or social pressure on you to say and show that you’re happy and this further complicates matters. Everywhere you look you see images of people smiling and supposedly happy and enjoying their lives. Over time these images begin to seep into your mind, and you might even begin to ask yourself, am I the only one that’s not happy?

Before I go on, I want to come clean and tell you that I don’t have the secret to happiness, and I apologize if you feel like I’ve misled you. But before you stop reading let me share a few thoughts that might help you in your pursuit of happiness.

What I’ve learned and can share is that instead of pursuing happiness, seek personal fulfillment. Fulfillment, as the word implies, will give you a longer feeling of satisfaction in life. Think of fulfillment as a long multi-course meal that satisfies all your taste buds, and happiness as a piece of gum that loses its flavor in a matter of minutes.

When you combine personal fulfillment with occasional sprinkles of moments of joy, then you might even experience those fleeting moments of happiness that you’re seeking. Maybe there is a secret to happiness after all.

P.S. Thanks for reading! If you enjoyed it, please share it with one person you love.