Happiness isn’t getting everything you want — happiness is a skill
On the notion of happiness
I have been giving some consideration to the idea of happiness. There are some who might think that happiness is getting whatever you want. People pray for it, they work for it, they wish for it, and sometimes, they get everything they wanted on their Christmas list. But in the end, are they really all that happy to get everything they want?
I know some people who seem to have everything they want, but it is plain to me that they aren’t very happy. I also know that as soon as someone gets what they want, they want more (just ask any two-year old). Are we ever really satisfied?
I believe that true happiness is a skill. We acquire this skill from our parents and the accumulated experiences of life. True happiness derives not from getting everything we want. First, we’d have to be aware of everything that we could possibly want. Then we’d have to have a consciousness big enough to recognize that everything we wanted is there before us, ready for our present enjoyment. And even if we have it all, right there, before our very eyes, how long will it be before we tire of it? Once having it all becomes normal, as in, “I’m used to it”, can we really sustain happiness?
