What is happiness?

What actually is happiness?

These days you can't avoid it. Happiness.

Everyone talks about it, but it feels as if you are the only one who can't find it.

Open Instagram or Facebook and all you see are images of people pretending to be happy.

A little tip from me: open these apps a bit less and focus more on your own life.

But what is happiness? My definition of happiness is made up of 3 concepts.

For me, short-term happiness is a good balance between fun and pleasure.

This is very broad! Pleasure is, for example, a good cup of coffee in the morning or a delicious sandwich for lunch.

I get fun from my work, my family and my social life. When these are in balance, you're already well on your way.
Do you drag yourself to work every morning because you have to? Then it's high time to think about what you really want.
Because it drains too much energy, so you enjoy other things that do make you happy less.

Contentment is a pure form of happiness.

Look around you at what you have, and above all who you have! Appreciate the small things. Appreciate the moments with friends and family. And live in the moment.

Don't already be thinking about your next tasks during a nice conversation with someone.
You can't do them at that moment anyway, and you don't fully enjoy the conversation.
That's how you avoid happiness.

Meaning is a slightly deeper version of happiness, but a very important one.

A good question about meaning is: why do you do what you do?

Do you work 60 hours a week just to have a big house and a big car to match?
No problem if that makes you happy. But are those 60 hours really spent on something you enjoy?
If so, great! If not, it's worth having a think.
The most successful entrepreneurs don't do business for the money, but because what they do is their real passion!

If something isn't your passion, you can't succeed. Or you succeed but have lost a lot of time.
Nobody has ever beaten time, and you won't either.

Would you rather teach young people, but then have to live in a smaller house or drive a smaller car? So what! You follow your passion and it gives you more energy.
You'll become a happier person. And positive people attract more positive things!

We've written a nice piece about the effect of positivity, and you can read it here.