What is happiness?

I have no intention to answer that question.

But, I did just spend the past two days mulling it over in my brain; that included reading up on some Albert Camus (I recommend his essay “The Myth of Sisyphus” if you’re up for some deep thinking) and watching the documentary “Happy” (on Netflix, by the way).

Camus, in an article I read (which you can read here), said: “Those who prefer their principles over their happiness, they refuse to be happy outside the conditions they seem to have attached to their happiness. If they are happy by surprise, they find themselves disabled, unhappy to be deprived of their unhappiness.”

Unhappy to be deprived of their unhappiness? Whaaat.

Well, think about it. How often do we create structures of what happiness should be and look like? I know I’m guilty of it. I’ll think, “If I can get an A on this test, I will be happy.” It seems trivial, I know, but happiness shouldn’t be treated like a destination. There is no algorithm for happiness, no step by step process to reach it. Sometimes, we are so preoccupied in finding and fulfilling those steps that we become distracted. So, when we do find happiness, we reject it because we do not recognize it for what it is. We confine ourselves to what we believe happiness should be, instead of accepting it for what it is.

One of the psychologists who spoke in the documentary said that happiness, like being able to surf or ride a unicycle, is a skill. He also mentioned that happy people aren’t happy all the time (duh), but that they are better at dealing with, and getting over, sadness (Oohhh).

Get this: Other psychologists in the documentary did some research and compiled it into this nifty little pie graph.

They found that 50% of our happiness comes from a set point–it’s usually always there–that we obtain from our genes (high five, mom and dad). Now, what is a leeeetttllleee shocking, is that our circumstances only contribute to 10% of our happiness (!!!). Kind of hard to believe, right? The other 40% is all up to intentional activity–the things we choose to do in our every day lives, our attitude towards it, etc. Now, that’s a little mind blowing.

Some clarification: I’m not trying to spit out the cliched “money can’t buy you happiness” crap, because that’s not the point. What I find interesting is how much power we hold in our happiness.

And so with that, I thought to myself, am I happy? And, I’m satisfied to say that, yeah, I really think I am. My life is at an incredible place right now. I have so many things to look forward too in the future, as well as things I’m enjoying now in the present. I’m not thinking “Oh, when I leave for my gap year, that’s when I’ll be happy.” Nope. The cultivation of my happiness starts now.

And honestly, I can’t wait to see how it changes and diverges in the future. I realize that I’ll have tough times ahead. Everything isn’t always going to be rainbows and butterflies, but compromise (10 points if you got that reference).

All I know is that I’ll get through those times, and hopefully, be a better, more satisfied person in the end.