happiness?

1) i was in the drive-thru again, picking up a quick dinner after work. i sorted through my change jar, getting a hold of anything that could pay to fuel my exhausted body. when i handed the cashier my money, he just gave it back to me. the confused look on my face prompted him to tell me that the person in front of me had already paid for my meal. it was a small favor, but it sure helped me out. Now, whenever i feel like the person behind me in the drive-thru needs a blessing, i go ahead and pay for their meal, too. random acts of kindness influence happiness.

2) everyone has the potential to be happy. happiness is attainable to all, but not everyone goes out and grabs what makes them happy. every person has possible happiness sitting in front of them, waiting to be reserved by whoever takes the initiative to seize it. if someone isn’t happy, it is their own fault. anyone could be happy.

3) one feels happiness when one feels an array of positive emotions. happiness is feeling pleasure, and depending on the case, spreading that joy. when happy, all is more than satisfactory. the sun shines brighter, the grass seems greener… there is nothing worth complaining about. happiness is an overwhelming feeling of fondness of every surrounding situation and predicament.

4) is ignorance bliss? that cliché saying is drilled into our heads through song lyrics, sappy movies, and any medium that can get the message across. one can link these together because sometimes happiness can be from only taking in the positive circumstances and not weighing the negative. well, let me tell ya, i have been happy quite a bit before. it’s usually my surroundings that spark the happiness i feel.  however, when i was happy, i was fully aware each and every one of my surroundings. so, ignorance is not bliss in all cases.

5) she was happy when that 8 pound body with little feet and even littler hands left her body. to say it was the same happy as when her son walked for the first time, called her “mama” the first time, that’s open to interpretation. when asked, she said there wasn’t a time she wasn’t happy through his entire childhood, she was always proud. i know that’s a lie, though, because someone can’t be happy 100% of their lives. is happiness just what you feel when you’re not sad? Maybe she was just happy more than she was sad. she said she was happy the day he graduated, but she cried during the whole ceremony.

6) the semi-finals of the Midwest Qualifier, a tournament that could send my team to Atlanta for nationals, provided an assortment of emotions, but i know the overpowering and residing one was happiness. that was my favorite match, not because that was the best i played all season, but because as a team we worked to get what we all passionately desired. we were down in the third game 7 to 11. two consecutive blocks made it 9 to 11. adrenaline almost burst my veins; we were playing our hearts out. they scored the next point, but our team wouldn’t let it happen again. we worked our way to 14 to 12. another block. we were onto the ‘ship. knowing i could play a part in helping secure what we’d been seeking all season made me happy.

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