How do you define happiness? Being happy?
Is it the time when you smile idiotically, when you get what you want, when you're with someone you love, or when you know everything in your life..is just fine? When you wake up to somebody you wanna be with, when you kiss good night the person you're just making love with, or when you see your kids are growing up so amazingly?
Is it in the time when life makes you hold your breathe for a while, takes your breath away for a moment, and you just feel the warmth in your chest, so warm that perhaps you wanna cry?
Really, what is happiness? Is it external? Is it internal? Is it defined by things you can buy, or what your money can't bring? Is it defined by the guy who stands so true besides you? Is it defined by his act; for example watching a NEW MOON movie at cinema, while wearing his earphone, literally, just because you have asked him to accompany you to? Is it defined by the feeling you feel inside you when the lust has just been transformed into some sticky fluid? Is it in the moment you capture with your camera, and then you see it over and over again?
For me, love is not happiness. Love doesn't bring you (only) happiness. Let alone marriage. So the guy with whom you share your life with? It's just a partnership, a relationship where the two of you make a pact of commitment. Things you buy? It's just luxury, and it gives you convenience. Moment so good in front of you? It's achievement. It's your blessing.
But they're all, not happiness. They're just not. Happiness is internal. Happiness is more like, an intimate session with yourself. Happiness is like you sweating over a sport; you can't have others sweat for you. It's like the urge to pee, and you have to do it yourself, because you can't transfer it to yourself. It's like the pain. You can't share your pain with somebody else. He might be a shoulder to cry on for you; but he's never you. He might say he'd understand, but he's never you. Happiness can't be transferred. It's contagious, only because we're taught to rejoice in other's happiness. We feel happy because he's happy. But we're not sharing the same happiness...
Pathetic? Miserable? Hopeless? No.
All I am saying, happiness is also a choice. We can choose to be happy. Because it's all up to us. It's personal, it's intimate, and at least, we're being sincere to ourselves. Now, why don't we welcome the source of happiness within us?
5 punches:
"Is it the time when you smile idiotically," Why do you have to append the adverb idiotically there? I somehow sense bitterness here. Is it because you never smile?
Oh wait, you haven't answered your own question, the one you posed at the very beginning of your article. How do you define happiness?
Ed, as far as I know, there is a big difference between happiness and excitement.
According to Buddhist, happiness is when you feel satisfied, with no hatred and no anger. It is immaterial. When you refer to "material" happiness, it is called excitement. Unfortunately, we don't have different word for that in Indonesian.
@arema: you know the time when you think of his words, his sentences, his acts, and you smile, and others would think that you're crazy because they don't know why you're smiling? That's what I mean.
About happiness.. I think Zhou Yu has already explained it.
@Zhou Yu: Are u a Buddhist? Because if you are, I could take this to another level. :-)
I'm not Buddhist, but I learn it. To me, the teaching is nice. So, I am waiting for your taking this to the next level.
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