I have pondered one question a lot recently: What is happiness?

The questions that follow this can range anywhere from 'how does one achieve happiness?' to 'how do I know I am happy?' or perhaps even 'What causes happiness?'. These are all great questions to be asked. However, obtaining the answer to these questions would only be able to be answered with the answer to the first question: What is happiness?

Well first, I can at least provide you with the dictionary definition of happiness. Simply put, it would be 'the state of being happy'. But that then leads to, 'How is one happy?'. Happiness is a personal definition. I can't tell you what happiness is for you, but I can start by saying that it is much more than just the 'state of being happy'. Happiness is when you surround yourself with positive people. Happiness is when you have joy and ambition for your life. Happiness is the way you feel when you are laughing and have no cares in the world. Happiness is not a feeling, it is a mental way of describing what you have. You don't say "I feel happiness" but you say "I have happiness." You obtain happiness by de-cluttering your mind from all the negative things in life and working towards achieving your goals. Surrounding yourself with optimism and kindness is something that can impact your life a lot. Having those that can bring you joy and doing things that make you happy will lead to true happiness. Likewise, having dreams and ambitions will help you love what you do and remain happy. Happiness is joy. Happiness is optimism. Happiness is bliss.

---Thank you Michael for inspiring me to write this article, you've brought me so much happiness!