This Is What Happiness REALLY Means Because It’s Not Actually About Finding Your Forever Person

A girl experiencing genuine happiness
Unsplash / Nicole Harrington

Happiness isn’t about your relationship status. It isn’t about whether you are falling asleep alone or snuggling someone close throughout the night. It isn’t about whether you’ve found the person you are meant to spend forever alongside or whether you are still single and searching. Happiness has nothing to do with your love life.

Happiness is about waking up and looking forward to the day in front of you. It is about enjoying Monday through Thursday instead of always wishing for Friday to come. It is about cherishing the present moment instead of constantly living in the past or daydreaming about the future. Happiness is about being here, now, instead of letting yourself worry about the what ifs. 

Happiness is about appreciating the little things in your life that most people take for granted. The sound of your dog’s paws excitedly scraping against the floor when he hears you walk through the door. The smell of the leftovers you still have in your fridge from your favorite restaurant. The sight of your best friend’s name popping onto your phone to give you details about their latest date. Happiness is about viewing small moments as milestone moments.

Happiness is about being thankful for what you have already earned instead of wanting more more more. It is about being proud of getting a raise, even if you still aren’t making enough money to buy that dream house you’ve always wanted. It is about being excited to upgrade your phone, even if all of your friends can afford iPhone 10s and you’re still on an earlier version. Happiness is about appreciating what you have instead of comparing it to what someone else has. It is about comparing your current self to your past self — but not to anybody else.

Happiness is about seeing the silver lining in shitty situations. It is about failing a test and being thankful that you still have a few more weeks to raise your grades. It is about getting sick and being thankful that you should be feeling better by the time the holidays come. It is about getting rejected and being thankful that now you know how that person truly feels and you no longer have to guess. Happiness is about altering the way you view your situation, because as long as you’re still breathing, you aren’t doing half bad.

Happiness is about realizing that not every day is going to be a good day. Sometimes, you are going to want to stay in bed and ignore all of your texts. Sometimes, you will find it impossible to smile, even though there is nothing major to complain about. Sometimes, finding happiness will feel like an impossibility. But that moment will pass. Those feelings will pass. You will experience happiness again — even if you feel like misery is all that you know. Even if you feel like your life is never going to get any better.

One day, you will feel okay again. One day, you will experience happiness again. Thought Catalog Logo Mark

More From Thought Catalog