Happiness and being happy isn’t a product of or extension from perfection, I realize. Not even sure balance has much to do with it. More so, I see it as the dimension of self-peace… knowing your Beat, enjoying the character you are, and the story.
Thoughts?
(8/20/21)
#professormikey 
I see it the same way, but I also think that it is from you not feeling a need to prove your worth to others and knowing that you are allowed to be yourself and not need to put on a mask for others.
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I absolutely agree! Happiness to me is more than just fulfillment; it’s a wholeness with myself and my inner peace. It’s a pivotal part of being alive to be able to step away from materialism and be introspective with myself and ask “Am I happy?” Tying happiness to perfection just seems unattainable to me. Happiness is an element of self-peace and being capable to admit that this is who I am and empower myself by appreciating that.
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I definitely agree. Inner peace is something that I feel when I find myself the happiest. Also feeling achieved, after a long hard day.
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I think that the mistake people make with happiness is that they make the assumption that it comes from outside themselves. I’ve seen many people spend all sorts of money trying to gain happiness through their pursuit of things. They seem to think that if only they owned a better phone, or a better car, or if they made more money, then they would finally be happy and satisfied. I’ve personally seen that happiness gained through such hollow means is exceedingly fleeting, that there is more happiness in giving to others than in getting things for yourself. Lasting happiness comes from the person within, from an acceptance of who you are. You aren’t perfect, but no one is. You can be happy as long as you know and accept that you are doing your best with the circumstances you’ve been dealt.
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This is a good point. Rarely do I find a level of happiness from achieving goals or finishing projects, taking a few seconds to bask in the result of hard work before wondering what comes next and thinking how I could improve my end results. Happiness can be achieved through trial and error, going out to explore all sorts of interests or niche quirks that bring you satisfaction. If someone was perfect all the time then there’d be nothing to look forward to, just the mundane repetition of the same thing again and again until being driven insane. It is also important to remember that to be at peace with yourself and finding happiness through that sense of self-guided confidence is a blessing one must work towards in order to achieve.
“Anything is possible when you have inner peace.” Master Shifu (Kung Fu Panda 2, 2011)
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Owning and embracing your imperfections and flaws are necessary for inner peace. Perfection is unattainable. Self compassion and gratitude for what you already have is what you need in to truly love yourself and others. We’re all doing the best we can with the tools we have. When I remember not to have such high expectations for myself and others I find that I am happier.
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I absolutely agree! Happiness to me is more than just fulfillment; it’s a wholeness with myself and my inner peace. It’s a pivotal part of being alive to be able to step away from materialism to be introspective and ask myself if I’m actually happy. Tying happiness to perfection just feels unattainable to me. Happiness is more an element of self-peace and admitting to myself that this is who I am and empowering myself by appreciating that.
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I definitely agree with Allison, that after a long day relaxing and calming down is when I’m happiest. I feel that after a long day when I’ve felt productive I feel happy. Anytime that I feel I can let go and stop worrying is when I feel happiest. I think this understanding of happiness is something people have to arrive at, not a notion that comes naturally. Partly I think that may have to do with the society we live in and the environments people grow up in. An example is that for the longest time I could never be happy with myself if I hadn’t felt productive that day. An still it is when I am happiest but, I feel that people should be allowed to relax and spend most of their time doing what they want not necessarily being productive. In terms of our society today, I think our system is counter-acting to the fulfillment and happiness of most of the human race. I think most of us do not have the time to calm down and enjoy who we are and achieving self peace. I hope that there will be more people who realize the disservice this system is doing and hope for change.
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I like the idea but I disagree. Balance is what keeps you centered within yourself. Without it, how can you appreciate happiness without going through sadness. Having hard times is what makes the good times better. If anything balance is the key to inner peace.
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My thoughts exactly. One cannot find peace without accepting the totality of life and realizing that not any one state of being is permanent nor provides complete fulfillment. I find that knowing good times will follow bad times and that life has a self-regulating balance is deeply comforting and brings peace in times of sorrow. Knowing the inverse also helps to cherish the good times.
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I agree. I think happiness is being able to embrace your life and where you are at in life. Inner peace is a big part of being happy because you have to be ok with yourself and your story. You have to be at peace with your story. If you aren’t able to accept that life isn’t perfect, then you will spend your time trying to live a “perfect” life instead of being happy and at peace with the realistic life.
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I agree. Allowing yourself to be content in life through the obstacles and challenges you might face is a beautiful trait. Many people believe happiness is circumstantial, and yet I believe that happiness is depicted on your level of self-peace and trust. Perfection will never feel fully satisfying in the long run. Appreciating yourself and the people you surround yourself is a beautiful thing.
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I agree, being happy isn’t about materialistic things or how perfect you are. Happiness is about being happy with yourself and who you are.
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I agree with that statement. I think that being able to be content with what you have and the direction you are going in your life is what allows one to be happy. You could have enough money to not work for the rest of your life, but still not be happy with it. Whether its something that is missing or something you don’t have, finding what that is and pursuing it is what I think is the way to be happy.
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Good ideas here!!!! Thank you!!!
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I totally agree, perfection doesn’t always describe happiness. For me, perfection sometimes means just satisfaction but not happiness. I believe happiness means the little moments where one feels free and not worried about being judged by anyone for being who they are.
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I view happiness as a state of existence when one is comfortable with the person they are and looks forward too the activities they take part in every day. While absolute perfection is unattainable in this life, working hard each day to grow closer to perfection can help someone achieve happiness. At least this is what works for me. I tend to find happiness when I am able to achieve personal growth in any area of life. I also find happiness when I spend time with my closest friends and family.
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I agree with this, usually for me when I finish a goal or something I’ve been wanting to achieve for a long period of time, I realize that although it feels good to accomplish something. When I look back at the journey to get there I find that time to be where I am happiest. Finding a goal and trying to achieve it is something that fulfills me and gives me peace
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I find balance to be a very important aspect of finding self peace. I can love my character and who I am but in times of hardship this doesn’t always bring happiness. But knowing that good times follow bad and bad/good allows me to see that there is an intrinsic balance in the world in which I can rely on. This may just be perception but the idea of balance provides a useful framework in which to view and navigate life.
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I agree with this having a certain accomplishment that I know I work so hard with and at the end made me happier I contemplate how far I came from and where it got me but also having that leave and mind through the whole way.
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I agree with what you’re saying here Mike. Many times people tend to find themselves trying to make others happy and are worried about what those people think rather than spending time to focus on their own happiness/ gratification. I used to think that isolation from others would put me in a state of depression or lonely-ness, but quite frankly, I find that it has actually healed.
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I agree with this quote very much so. I feel as though the idea of happiness has been misconstrued in society with the thought that you must find it through outside sources. However, I believe that true, raw happiness can only be found within one’s self. If someone is unable to be happy through themselves then the happiness they try to find will be more artificial and short lived.
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I agree with their happiness being fulfilling being your wholesome self and doing whatever it is that makes each individual happiest. Although, yea we are the main character in our own worlds scripting our lives I will have to disagree with not have balance. I personally feel as having balance is everything that happens for its own unique reason whether it be a lesson in disguised. We all go through certain situations life throws at us having us go through different emotions, stages, and events that then balance us mentally and physically.
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I agree with this. You can be doing perfectly in school, at work, being the perfect daughter/son, and something still is not sitting right. If you are in touch with yourself, be able to enjoy yourself and not be perfect is how to get closer to your true happiness. Being able to be yourself and are comfortable with yourself will make a whole world of difference. Someone can be putting on an act of “perfection” and be unhappy with who they are. When, one the other hand, someone who enjoys, loves, and understands themselves can be completely content or happy, even without hitting perfection in different areas.
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I think the closest one can get to true happiness is complete self love and self worth; being able to be content spending time alone with yourself, having pride in yourself and what you achieve but enough humility to feel grateful and satisfied.
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I totally agree when I am happy I feel like I am at such peace. Not only that but it being able to balance out your life to always find that happiness.
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Being stagnant, more than most things, is the antithesis of happiness in my opinion. Contentment expires when doing one thing or not having progress in some way, within yourself or outside of it.
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I feel that through the journey of life we eventually find this balance of proving ourselves to others. But truly the journey is finding that balance and I think of it as just enjoying the ride. Once you realize this difficult idea, then you can truly be at peace with yourself. If in the end you find this balance, then I feel happiness can be acheived.
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I couldn’t agree more. I feel that for someone to be fully happy, one needs to be comfortable within their inner selves, not just because we see an individual happy, doesn’t mean they really are. Happiness and being happy has to do with being loyal to yourself and treating yourself with delicacy to get the self-care you deserve. Without self-care, you can’t maintain that happiness within you.
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I think happiness is knowing who you are and un-allowing it to change you. To me this statement reminds me much of “being rich is a mindset” and I completely have to agree because you can have the whole world at your feet and still be unhappy. I have often wondered why we as people often chase after what we can’t have and it is because we can never stop settling for what will appear as less, we always need more and I think that is where people can lose the happiness in themselves.
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