"Do what makes you happy" that vague statement I'm sure either a parent or a grandparent has said while drilling you on what your plans are for the future. But how can we define happiness? While there are many things that can make a person happy, is there really one thing that can ensure happiness? While this may sound slightly pessimistic, I don't think that there is.

Happiness is not a constant state, in fact, happiness is relative. What I mean is, no one reaches a point in their life when they are eternally happy. This is something that we are constantly chasing but can never seem to achieve. Often, when you ask someone what they want in life they say money, love or happiness.

But what does it mean to be truly happy? In reality, happiness is not a goal that can be achieved and most people become unhappy while attempting to chase happiness. Ironic, isn't it.

In order to truly understand what it is to be happy one must have something, moments of discomfort, to contrast those moments of joy. If life was always easy and pleasant little things would not be appreciated as much. Happiness only exists in comparison to misery and unhappiness.

Therefore, happiness is relative to moments of discomfort and without those moments happiness would not exist.

While this point of view may seem pessimistic those moments of unhappiness and discomfort allow us to grow into moments of happiness.

The purpose of viewing life in this manner is to try and embrace moments of distress or discomfort. Each moment of unhappiness contributes to all those moments of happiness we experience and allows us to appreciate them more. Without those times of stress, we would not be able to appreciate instances of euphoria.

Accepting that life is not just about always being happy will make you a happier person as ironic as that may sound.