Happiness Timeline

Throughout the years, people have been encouraging us to stay happy and inspire us with their words. Here’s a timeline of happiness since before we even realized it.

Love

I was watching “Love Actually” the other night and when the opening scene came on, I realized how true (and appropriate) it was for my blog. So I searched and searched for it on YouTube and finally found it. I apologize for the shotty quality of the video, but the words and message are the most important part.

 

For the ladies

This is a poem I hold very close to my heart. Enjoy.

“After awhile you learn the subtle difference
Between holding a hand and chaining a soul,
And you learn that love doesn’t mean leaning
And company doesn’t mean security,
And you begin to learn that kisses aren’t contracts
And presents aren’t promises,
And you begin to accept you defeats
With the grace of a woman, not the grief of a child
And learn to build all your roads
On today because tomorrow’s ground
Is too uncertain for plans, and futures have
A way of falling down in mid-flight.
After awhile you learn that even sunshine
Burns if you get too much
So you plant your own garden and decorate
Your own soul, instead of waiting
For someone to bring you flowers.
And you learn that you really can endure
That you really are strong.
And you really do have worth.
And you learn and learn…
With every goodbye you learn.”
- Anonymous

Positivity vs. Happiness

My professor recently posed the question to me whether positivity was the same thing as happiness. It got me thinking. I think most of us assume they are interchangable, but instead of that, I think they accent each other better than mirror each other.

We need to think positively in order to attain happiness. Positive thinking leads to happiness. You cannot have happiness without positivity, but in some ways, you can have positivity without happiness.

Often times we tend to disregard all of the great things in our life because there may be one or two missing or bad things. For example, if you have a great job and a great home but you are single and lonely, people usually focus on the one thing that’s missing rather than the great things they do have.  In order to accept this and be happy, you need to think positively about the fact you will fill your one void in your life. However, if you’re simply not happy about it, you can still be hopeful and think “maybe today.”

Photo courtesy of Meanest Indian on Flickr

What do you think?

HUG SOMEONE!

They say a hug a day keeps the blues away. If you’re feeling down, a hug from anyone will more than likely always cheer you up. Researchers found that a 20-second hug is known to make you feel better. So next time you’re low, hug someone!

Happy Interviews – Pt.1

What is Happiness? from Ashley Zazzarino on Vimeo.

 

A couple posts ago, I talked about how it’s hard to truly relate to the textbook definition of ‘happy.’ So, I asked various Rowan students what hapiness was to them. It’s much easier than reading a definition. Seeing and hearing others say what happiness is to them is so much more relatable and humane.

Thanks to Shana Schmoyer for sending me this picture for my blog! Stay happy =)

What is Happiness?

I’ve been talking about happiness for the past month or so, without even stopping to ask what is happiness? I’ve explored what happiness was to others, by having them take pictures of what makes them happy, but to dig deeper, what is being happy?

I looked up the definition of happiness, and this is what I got: “the state of well-being characterized by emotions ranging from contentment to intense joy.”

That can mean nothing to some people. It could be just a loaded sentence full of empty words. However, to some it can mean everything. Because really, isn’t that what feeling happy is? Contentment and intense joy? 

What I’m trying to say is that you can understand what happiness is, but you may not be able to relate to such a definition. There is some sort of human element to happiness that can’t be defined. Happiness is universal, and we all know the feeling. A textbook definition is something so irrelevant because it’s something we can only share by experiencing it.

Keep a lookout for posts asking people how they would define happiness. Hopefully it will be easier to relate to than a dictionary.

Boundin’

A feel good Pixar short film called “Boundin”.

“In this world of ups and downs, it’s good to know we have jackelopes around…”

 

The Positivity Blog

I stumbled upon another blog about happiness, and saw a post stating 7 tips to stay happy. It just proves that happiness is a universal feeling that everyone wants and deserves. Everything on this blog is true, check it out!