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dominicsklar
I'm an author based out of Los Angeles, CA, currently working on my first novel.
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Challenge of the Week CVII
Happiness. The ever-elusive state in which we all strive to linger. Write about the pursuit or experience of happiness. Perhaps it's an illusion. Perhaps it's a character who finds happiness in an unlikely place. Perhaps it'll be the simplest thing you'll ever write, or perhaps the most difficult. Fiction or non-fiction, poetry or Prose.

Happiness is in the Eye of the Beholder

It's been said, time and time again, that beauty is in the eye of the beholder, but my question is this: can the same be said for happiness? After all, happiness, as is beauty, is subjective; we all have different ideas of what it can mean.

For example, happiness could be as simple as someone getting their dream job after months and months of grueling interviews and obsessively checking their email, resulting in them being catapulted into career success and immense financial gain. They've worked for this, day-in and day-out, and now it's here and they're beyond ecstatic. On the other hand, happiness, for some, could be having children. You watch them grown and learn, as they weave together their own life, make their own triumphs and mistakes and, ultimately, find their own happiness along the way. The point is this: happiness is everything and it's nothing, all at the same time, and that's the beauty of it. A lot can be said about what makes a person happy by breaking down their background, as everyone has different desires and needs. Something so insignificant to one individual could mean the world to another.

So while it's difficult to determine, in a broad sense, what happiness means to someone, the one thing that we can all agree upon is that happiness is better for us...period. Having a positive mindset and being generally happy with where you are in your life, typically results in a better lifestyle, overall. It could potentially lead to better health, more positive relationships or even a sense of purpose.

It may come as a shock but, for the most part, everyone is happy in one way or another. While we may have grand ideas of what we need in order to be happy (job, marriage, children, an education, etc.), we often take for granted the things that we do have that truly give us happiness. Instead of constantly trying to move towards something that we believe will bring us happiness, it's advisable to look at things from above, in a third-person point-of-view, and see all the things that we already have. While it's perfectly acceptable, and beneficial, to move towards goals, it's best to not lose sight in where you are and how fortunate you are to just be alive.

To quote an overused metaphor, 'life is a rollercoaster of emotions'; sometimes we'll be happy, sometimes we won't. The important takeaway here is to find your own happiness; feel the sunshine on your skin; go for a walk and breath fresh air; open the door and tell someone 'Hello'. If we each find a way to spread a little happiness each day, then maybe we can be happier ourselves, knowing that we are spreading love and positivity. Happiness is subjective, but kindness is not. Spread a little kindness, receive a little happiness.