Aldous Huxley once said, “Happiness is not achieved by the conscious pursuit of happiness; it is generally the by-product of other activities.” This quote by Huxley perfectly presents my thoughts on what happiness truly is. Happiness is the result of choices you make in your life.
If you are an American citizen, you are guaranteed by the Bill of Rights the right to your life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness. However, your rights, including your right to happiness, end where others rights begin. It is not possible to ensure everyone around you is happy all the time. However, it is possible to make sure you are doing everything in your power not to purposely bring pain to others. Have you ever thought about how people make decisions to make themselves happy just like you do? Anne Frank once said, “We all live with the objective of being happy; our lives are all different and yet the same.” We are all living our lives with one primary focus, to be happy. Most individuals go throughout their days not intending to hurt others, but bring happiness to themselves; however, often without thinking about how their happiness may be causing pain to others. Having a caring heart and spirit could change and brighten someone’s day. A person who feels lonely, empty, and like his/her life is on the brink of disaster might need an example of what it is like to have happiness in your heart.
If you are a Christian, Jesus lives in your heart and you are happy even if you aren’t experiencing times that are good times. Psalms 1:1 states, “Blessed is the man who walks not in the counsel of the ungodly, nor stands in the path of sinners, nor sits in the seat of the scornful.” First of all, blessed can be translated to the Hebrew word “Asher,” which means “how happy.” The next part of the verse, “the man,” could be referring to a man or women. “Counsel of the ungodly” is simply following person who is very corrupt. “Nor stands in the path of sinners,” means that we shouldn’t put ourselves with people who deliberately disobey what God would have us to do. The next part that states “nor sits in the seat of the scornful,” means for us not to be part of people who are insulting and overbearing. Therefore, this verse could be translated to say, “ Happy are the men and women who do not follow corrupt people, don’t put themselves among people who deliberately disobey what God would have them to do, and who don’t take part in being overbearing and insulting.”
Whether you realize it or not, your personal happiness greatly affects other people. Have you ever had a bad day and mistreated someone who was completely innocent? Most people have. Afterwards you realize that your unhappiness affected the way you treated someone who had nothing to do with the negative experiences in your day. Throughout your week try and make sure you are making decisions that will result in your happiness but will not tamper with other’s happiness.
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