What does Happiness look like ?

How do you know if someone is really happy?
When you ask someone what they really want, most will say they just want to be happy.

But how do you know if someone is happy?  What what does that look like?

I have read lots of books on the subject od happiness.  For many, most, it is elusive.  Some of the latest things I am reading are now saying that pursuing happiness is a waste of time, that it leads to constant disappointment and worry about not being happy enough.  I think that is partly right, but I think that also  it speaks to this quest for "bliss" whereby true happiness my be something closer to contentment.

When I think about different people I have known or observed in my life that I thought seemed happy, certain traits seem to be recurring themes.

Here are some common qualities that I have noticed in “Happy” people:

1. They know happiness is a choice. They understand it does not come from outside. It is a decision to consciously create their own happiness.
2. They don’t complain. They know it is a waste of time, energy, and only produces more of a negative mindset.
3. They never blame others. They take 100% responsibility for their actions and outcomes, or their lack thereof.
4. They avoid toxic people, place priority on healthy relationships, and spend time with positive, like-minded people.
5. They are more effective than most at mastering their emotions. They feel things like we all do, but are not slaves to their emotions. ( My Achilles heel, that I continue to work on)
   
6. They embrace change, they readily adapt, they are not creatures of habit and are comfortable with the unfamiliar.
7. They are kind, generous, and take great pleasure in helping others achieve happiness. They are happy to make others look good and do not seek personal glory.
   
8. They are life-long learners. They constantly work at educating themselves, learning, unlearning, and relearning.
9. They are secure in who and what they are. Their sense of self-worth does not come from what they own, who they know, where they live or what they look like.
   
10. They talk the talk, and walk the walk. They practice what they preach. They live it.

Do any of these qualities resonate with you? Do you consider yourself a happy person?

If you want to be happy, you choose to be happy no matter what. Period.

This is your ultimate power and freedom, no one can do for you, no one can take it away.