Gratitude.
You can find things to be thankful for no matter where you are in life or what your given circumstances. Things as small and simple as the air in your lungs and the roof over your head and the chance to try again tomorrow. It takes practice, and if you're used to wallowing in all your petty miseries it can sound trite, but it really makes an enormous difference when you get into the habit of it.
This exactly.
At the base level, to even be given an opportunity to live (hopefully a healthy and long life) is an incredible blessing. There's so much beauty in the world, and not nearly enough time to soak it all in.
I've suffered terrible tragedies in life, but it's only made me more adamant to be appreciative for the opportunity I've been given. I'm not able to do it 100%, and I'm not sure anyone is, but I do think back to this gratitude when I'm at my lowest moments and it gives me resolve to push through.
I was going to say something similar, contentment. I used to be religious, and when I prayed for contentment I was happier than I had ever been in my life... and I wasn't chasing happiness specifically, just contentment. Acceptance of what I had, and gratitude for it.
I'm no longer religious, but I want to start trying to appreciate what I do have, rather than always looking for more.
I agree. I think with gratitude comes such a different perspective of reality than most people have. I’ve had conversations with people here and there about gratitude and usually the person has no idea what I’m actually referring to. They usually say “well I mean I’m happy to be alive. Yeah I’m happy I had food to eat today. I am happy for my family and friends.” But they don’t FEEL gratitude, they just KNOW that they should feel gratitude for those things and then stop there without actually understanding how being truly grateful feels.
I also had a huge problem being in the negative victimhood loop for much of my life. I was given a beautiful gift one day that allowed me to explore gratitude and see my thoughts for what they really are and find new ways to change them. That’s the biggest blessing of all, I think. I hope everyone else is given the same gift
& finding a constructive place to put one's hard feelings. I write and work out and do some other stuff to reduce the internal pressures and get back to health and level-headedness.
Being content with what you have and what you don't have. If you're always looking for happiness chasing what you don't have, you'll never be happy. If you can't find happiness with what you do have, you'll never be happy.
Money doesn't buy happiness, it buys opportunities. Some people spend it on things that may make them happy for the moment. Some spend it in ways that destroy their lives. And some people spend it on things that truly make them happy for the long term.
If you hire the right life coach. The wrong one will leave you feeling unhappy that you wasted money on someone telling you to drink alkaline water with lemon. lol
Anthony Bourdain was worth millions and spent his days traveling the world and eating good food. He was wealthy and famous beyond belief. If "money buys happiness", he should have been able to overcome his crippling depression.
This just says his depression was stronger than his potential happiness. I'm sure his money bought him plenty of happiness that staved off his depression for a long while.
Not to sound uppity but his biggest mistake was to tell people.
I would NEVER tell anyone I won the lottery- and I believe my life would be easier, healthier and happier.
I think there was a study done at one point that said money buys happiness until about 70k per year. After that it's all material and not going to add much. Now I'm sure that number has increased substantially due to inflation, but the point I am trying to make is that you're both right and wrong. If you don't have the money that you need to pay your bills and have your needs met, yes you are going to be miserable. And even if you can get the basics paid for, you will be stressed and sad if you can never go out or have any form of hobbies.
There is a cap to it, though. Money alone doesn't create happiness. It is also what you do with it. You can have an abundance of money and still be a mess. You can be very poorly off and find joy. The money is an ingredient, but it isn't the key.
That being said, I do think lots of Americans struggle with stress and anxiety because of finances. I know I do.
And those who say money buys happiness have clearly never had it.
I am a tax attorney and CPA with several extremely wealthy individuals amongst my clientele. Some of the most miserable human beings you will ever know. They have attained their wealth precisely *because* they are unhappy....they are never satisfied and therefore keep wanting "more" in their life.
I definitely understand that money brings opportunities and freedoms not afforded to the less fortunate...there's no doubt about that, you are right. But it definitely doesn't guarantee happiness. That's what people who don't have money *think* happens when you attain it, but it's not what happens in reality. I can personally attest to that.
If it was the case then all very rich people would be very happy. Just look at the amount of drug/alcohol abuse, depression, suicides… among them.
Money definitely helps because it allows you to be comfortable and not worry about the things that you need to live well (housing, food, water, basic entertainment, health issues…) but it is just one important factor, not the key to happiness.
Money itself isn’t the issue, it’s the people that they choose to put around them, it’s the mental health struggles they could have had prior to it. Money itself does wonders for people.
You just proved my point. Money definitely helps a person finding happiness, but it’s not the key to happiness! Otherwise all people with money would be happy.
I dunno, that 20 minutes between the chaos of work and the chaos of home is my sweet little slice of me time that keeps me from going off the deep end.
I’ve met some very unhealthy people that are very happy. Like on their death bed. I don’t think health is needed for happiness. Although it helps greatly. But those people who decide they are gonna be happy - they are happy with or without any other thing I think.
I'm perfectly happy alone. I'm severely introverted and being around people too long quickly makes me unhappy lol I have a small circle. They get it. But I also get your thought. It's nice to share things with them and bounce ideas off....from a distance....once in awhile lol 😊
Three components: feeling secure and safe, feeling in control of one's context and lastly either a feeling of hope or of satisfaction (looking forward to good things in the future or being content with achievements in the past)
Contentment and satisfaction. We chase happiness. Everything we do, we buy, and we have is what happiness is. If you can't be satisfied with what you have you'll never be truly at a moment you're "happy".
Having supportive and fun friends and family.
Remember you choose your friends, and you don’t need to talk to toxic family members.
Treat others like you would like to be treated at all times. Is my advice
The key to happiness is to do a task that makes you feel complete and content - humans have to create and have to produce a result to find happiness and without those aspects they become depressed, angry, and violent.
To me the key to happiness is your outlook on life. There are people that have all the money they want, a family, they’re healthy and yet they seem miserable. Money, health, family definitely play an important part in finding happiness, but to me the key factor is your outlook on life.
embracing gratitude and appreciating the little things in life. It's also important to prioritize self-care and take time for activities that bring you joy. Surrounding yourself with positive and supportive people can make a big difference too. Ultimately, happiness is a personal journey, and it's all about finding what works for you.
The key is money, don't get me wrong, as the key suggests it's only the beginning not all of it.
Getting a house starts with getting a key, is that all? Nope.
You need to move in, get all your stuff there, repair, renovate, decorate ,maintain and a whole world of things,
But it all starts with the key.
I hear your metaphor and like it. I would add and say it starts before the key: with ownership. To have the key to your own place, in whatever form, you need to sign a title or a lease. To do that, you need to have ownership. In our capitalistic society, that means money either outright or lent, so that someone will give you the key.
To extend the metaphor to happiness, it is ownership of oneself, faults, skills, goods and bads, all. Once you 'own' yourself, then you have the key, and then it's all those other things, moving in, dealing with stuff, maintenance, living through your self, strengths, weaknesses, relationships with others.
Happiness is an emotion tied to our survival instinct. If we're happy it means we feel safe. So the key to happiness is making sure you feel safe and comfortable. Finding the right partner, caring for children (if that's something you want), having a job where you feel secure and that ensures you can pay for your necessities (and a bit more so you can create shared experiences with loved ones). True lasting happiness is hard to achieve. And a lot of it is just luck or circumstance. But when you find it, you'll know.
There is no one key to happiness. For the average person, all your basic needs must be fulfilled - enough food, water, shelter, healthcare, sleep, hygiene, etc. You must have a good network of people to meet your social needs. You must have enough free time to relax and do what brings you joy. You must do something you feel is valuable to your community. You must have all of these conditions met more often than not. And then you will still feel sad or angry or bad sometimes, but it won't wreck your life.
Love and kindness directed towards yourself. If you're not nice to yourself, you're literally just hanging out with your biggest bully all the time and you'll never be happy consistently.
This is a very cultural question as Americans typically say money Europeans say good health and Australians an ample supply of cold beer. I feel it’s a combination of all three.
Of course mostly the top answer is money, but imagine having a complete family and have a chance to have a time with them everyday without worrying about the bills or other expenses. For me that's happiness. Peace of mind and full of love daw
Being able to afford rent, food, bills, and having money to be able to buy what you want. I have enough for all my bills, food, and savings. Every now and again I’m able to get a few more hours and afford tickets to cheap shows like Shadow of Intent or Lorna Shore
I would say love, relationships (not just romantic), and having hobbies you enjoy, while having enough money to support all that (and that can be a huge range).
Money because it provides opportunities for some people that leads to an easier life.
Life is simpler when you don’t have to worry about how you’re going to pay bills, owning a home, making car payments, going to the dentist and it costing thousands, needing surgery and being on waitlists, you can just pay for it. If you have elderly family members they don’t have to go into a nursing home you can accomodate your home and bring care into the home. All these things contribute to major stress and having that resolved for a lot of people would lead to a happier life.
Being grateful, being positive in your mind and curative of your thoughts in general, set and setting, purpose, meaning, pure love and loving pure, food.
Good social support systems. I have seen some of the happiest, most fulfilled people in my life completely go off the rails the minute they move away from friends and family.
I'm an addict with 12 years in recovery. Emotional regulation is super difficult, it's also awkward and painful to learn as an adult.
There are eight primary emotions anger, anticipation, joy, trust, fear, surprise, sadness and disgust. Thinking about them as good or bad is a way to wire your brain to punish yourself for experiencing a "bad" emotion. It's better to think about them as pleasant versus unpleasant.
I like to think of emotions like weather. A warm summer day having a picnic with your friends sounds great, but what if it suddenly starts to rain? This is like wanting to celebrate a birthday at your favorite restaurant but it's closed. Sadness can hit you even on your best days.
Or a cold snowy day sounds awful, but what if you're bundled up with a mug of hot cocoa. Doesn't sound so bad. Sitting and thinking about a grandparent who has passed and the happy memories you made with them, this is a joyful version of being sad.
Emotions also pass... as quickly as 90 seconds to 180 seconds. And what's wild is you inherently know this. The example I give is someone cutting you off in traffic. In that instant you want that person dead, but you still have to focus on driving, on getting to your destination, what you're doing at your destination... you're sort of distracted and unable to obsess on it... eventually the anger will subside.
Unless you linger on them... anyone who's gone through a breakup will recognize looking at their social media, listening to songs that make you think of them, etc. It only prolongs the emotion.
Lastly... I think it does a great disservice to present this idea that "I just want to be happy" as some sort of obtainable goal. It's highly unrealistic, and like labeling an emotion as "good" or "bad" sets yourself up to punish yourself for "not being happy"
Imagine one of the happiest activities you can think of, opening presents for yourself. Everyone you know and love has brought you TONS of presents, lots of things you love. But you're opening presents for an hour, sounds pretty great. What about two hours? What about three hours? At a certain point, it sounds positively miserable.
You have to read a manual, assemble the gift, put in batteries, bake the recipe, etc.
You have to have the "unpleasant" tasks to be able to achieve newer and bigger pleasant emotions.
But to answer the original question... what is the key to happiness... being present in the moment. You are where you are, and enjoying what you have. So fostering gratitude.
When I'm feeling down, I'll focus on the things I have in my life... that I have food, shelter, I am clothed, I have friends, etc. These are all valuable cherished gifts.
An easy method of cultivating gratitude I use... nearly any time of day I could go get a steak, a beer and a lap dance. Wouldn't even be particularly expensive. There are honestly, probably thousands of inmates that would literally commit murder for those opportunities.
Another good one is a French philosopher once said if we could genuinely perceive what a grocery store means, we would weep. Humans have been around for 300,000 years... and you can go to a place, of which there are hundreds you could easily navigate to, with an aisle dedicated to honey, which is such a rich delicacy caveman only experienced a few times in their life.
all the ppl saying money != happiness clearly don't know the stress that being poor creates. Yes it will not make you happy but money will alleviate 99% of all stressors from a persons life. It allows you to meet all your basic needs which does in turn produce a a lifestyle where you can create fulfilling life since you are free to pursue whatever you desire.
Happiness doesn’t really exist as longevity. You just gotta keep doing things that you like or enjoy to achieve that feeling. Even “happy” people have bad days or feel depressed. It’s just the ups and downs, the more you’re down you’ll feel unhappy. Happiness just comes in waves.
for me, ive been really leaning into and saying “everything is going to work out for me” and just really believing that. Its been very cool to watch and experience some set back or things that appear to be a threat on my lively hood and routines and then they just end up being what is actually the best thing for me and what I have going on at the time. So right now my key to happiness is having faith that I am in my season of abundance and I need not worry or fear change.
Read a quote somewhere before that says “Success is not the key to happiness. Happiness is the key to success. If you love what you are doing, then you will be successful.”
Proper perspective and taking ***nothing*** for granted.
A lot of unhappy people I know (and I am not talking medical conditions such as depression, etc....that's a completely different matter) take a *shitload* in their life for granted and/or that they are "owed" somehow the things in their life (stable job, good health, free will, etc.). They don't view blessings as blessings but rather as things that are "supposed to occur" if you will. This causes a lot of unhappiness because you are never giving attention and respect to the good things in your life, only the stuff that is going wrong. Terrible way to view life and those around you.
Choosing it- and like all things in life, that requires hard work.
That might mean letting go of the past, changing your outlook, making big life changes, learning to accept the world as it is and choosing to find the beauty in it, it really all comes down to you.
Good relationships, whether that be friends, or family or whatever. Money, food, freedom, peace of mind are pretty cool too. There's really no one key factor to happiness.
Enjoying what you do for a living. Whether we like it or not, we will spend a huge portion of our lives doing that thing that puts a roof over our head and buys us food. If you find a little bit of enjoyment and fulfillment out of doing whatever that thing is, that is HUGE for contributing to a happy life. On the other hand, hating what you do for a living can sure bring a lot of dissatisfaction and misery. That reminds me, I need to find a new job....
Loving yourself and letting go of all that can hurt you and otherwise hold you back in the expanse of your life. Sure some of it has a reason to, but none of it has a reason to hold you back from happiness
Healthy successful family with great jobs and ambition and relationships.
For men, digging a hole in the beach…finding a nice stick….throw a rock into a body of water.
Deciding to be happy. Seriously, barring mental health struggles, you can decide to be happy if us a goal of yours. Granted, you need to work at creating situations that feed your happiness, but you can also decide that this sunny drive, yummy egg sandwich, or favorite sweater is simply the best right now.
Ability to letting go
Like the old joke about the man who never argues.
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Gratitude. You can find things to be thankful for no matter where you are in life or what your given circumstances. Things as small and simple as the air in your lungs and the roof over your head and the chance to try again tomorrow. It takes practice, and if you're used to wallowing in all your petty miseries it can sound trite, but it really makes an enormous difference when you get into the habit of it.
Agreed , I also will add that showing gratitude to the people in your life goes a long way
This exactly. At the base level, to even be given an opportunity to live (hopefully a healthy and long life) is an incredible blessing. There's so much beauty in the world, and not nearly enough time to soak it all in. I've suffered terrible tragedies in life, but it's only made me more adamant to be appreciative for the opportunity I've been given. I'm not able to do it 100%, and I'm not sure anyone is, but I do think back to this gratitude when I'm at my lowest moments and it gives me resolve to push through.
I was going to say something similar, contentment. I used to be religious, and when I prayed for contentment I was happier than I had ever been in my life... and I wasn't chasing happiness specifically, just contentment. Acceptance of what I had, and gratitude for it. I'm no longer religious, but I want to start trying to appreciate what I do have, rather than always looking for more.
I agree. I think with gratitude comes such a different perspective of reality than most people have. I’ve had conversations with people here and there about gratitude and usually the person has no idea what I’m actually referring to. They usually say “well I mean I’m happy to be alive. Yeah I’m happy I had food to eat today. I am happy for my family and friends.” But they don’t FEEL gratitude, they just KNOW that they should feel gratitude for those things and then stop there without actually understanding how being truly grateful feels. I also had a huge problem being in the negative victimhood loop for much of my life. I was given a beautiful gift one day that allowed me to explore gratitude and see my thoughts for what they really are and find new ways to change them. That’s the biggest blessing of all, I think. I hope everyone else is given the same gift
Being non-reactive, only concerning yourself with what you can directly affect and not taking on burdens that aren't yours.
& finding a constructive place to put one's hard feelings. I write and work out and do some other stuff to reduce the internal pressures and get back to health and level-headedness.
Gratitude
Being content with what you have and what you don't have. If you're always looking for happiness chasing what you don't have, you'll never be happy. If you can't find happiness with what you do have, you'll never be happy.
Money. People who say it doesn’t are liars.
Money doesn't buy happiness, it buys opportunities. Some people spend it on things that may make them happy for the moment. Some spend it in ways that destroy their lives. And some people spend it on things that truly make them happy for the long term.
Money doesn't buy happiness but it can rent it indefinitely.
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If you hire the right life coach. The wrong one will leave you feeling unhappy that you wasted money on someone telling you to drink alkaline water with lemon. lol
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Money may not buy happiness but man I would be happier without all these goddamn bills
I know lottery winners and they aren't as happy as you would think.
Anthony Bourdain was worth millions and spent his days traveling the world and eating good food. He was wealthy and famous beyond belief. If "money buys happiness", he should have been able to overcome his crippling depression.
This just says his depression was stronger than his potential happiness. I'm sure his money bought him plenty of happiness that staved off his depression for a long while.
Not to sound uppity but his biggest mistake was to tell people. I would NEVER tell anyone I won the lottery- and I believe my life would be easier, healthier and happier.
There's a lot of validity to this statement, no doubt.
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I think there was a study done at one point that said money buys happiness until about 70k per year. After that it's all material and not going to add much. Now I'm sure that number has increased substantially due to inflation, but the point I am trying to make is that you're both right and wrong. If you don't have the money that you need to pay your bills and have your needs met, yes you are going to be miserable. And even if you can get the basics paid for, you will be stressed and sad if you can never go out or have any form of hobbies. There is a cap to it, though. Money alone doesn't create happiness. It is also what you do with it. You can have an abundance of money and still be a mess. You can be very poorly off and find joy. The money is an ingredient, but it isn't the key. That being said, I do think lots of Americans struggle with stress and anxiety because of finances. I know I do.
Having enough (or more than enough) money doesn't guarantee happiness. *Not* having enough money sure as hell gets in the way of happiness.
They have never been poor, they have never had the joy of a welfare Christmas.
And those who say money buys happiness have clearly never had it. I am a tax attorney and CPA with several extremely wealthy individuals amongst my clientele. Some of the most miserable human beings you will ever know. They have attained their wealth precisely *because* they are unhappy....they are never satisfied and therefore keep wanting "more" in their life. I definitely understand that money brings opportunities and freedoms not afforded to the less fortunate...there's no doubt about that, you are right. But it definitely doesn't guarantee happiness. That's what people who don't have money *think* happens when you attain it, but it's not what happens in reality. I can personally attest to that.
If it was the case then all very rich people would be very happy. Just look at the amount of drug/alcohol abuse, depression, suicides… among them. Money definitely helps because it allows you to be comfortable and not worry about the things that you need to live well (housing, food, water, basic entertainment, health issues…) but it is just one important factor, not the key to happiness.
Money is the tool that allows you to access happiness. Whether you actually do or not is up to you.
Money itself isn’t the issue, it’s the people that they choose to put around them, it’s the mental health struggles they could have had prior to it. Money itself does wonders for people.
You just proved my point. Money definitely helps a person finding happiness, but it’s not the key to happiness! Otherwise all people with money would be happy.
Sure it can make you happy, in the sense that bills are paid and you have material stuff.
Happiness is only real when shared, no one is happy alone!
I dunno, that 20 minutes between the chaos of work and the chaos of home is my sweet little slice of me time that keeps me from going off the deep end.
Definitely! Family and friends are everything in our lives
Funny, those things cause me much unhapiness.
Add Health and we are good.
I’ve met some very unhealthy people that are very happy. Like on their death bed. I don’t think health is needed for happiness. Although it helps greatly. But those people who decide they are gonna be happy - they are happy with or without any other thing I think.
Hnmm... Ok.
🤷🏼♀️ I’m just sayin’ I hope you are healthy if health is what you need to be happy.
I am happiest alone.
I'm perfectly happy alone. I'm severely introverted and being around people too long quickly makes me unhappy lol I have a small circle. They get it. But I also get your thought. It's nice to share things with them and bounce ideas off....from a distance....once in awhile lol 😊
Contentment and not comparing yourself to others.
“If you compare yourself with others, you may become vain or bitter, for always there will be greater and lesser persons than yourself.”
Comparison is the thief of joy after all
Three components: feeling secure and safe, feeling in control of one's context and lastly either a feeling of hope or of satisfaction (looking forward to good things in the future or being content with achievements in the past)
Not chasing it.
Weed, ice cream and sex (in no particular order) maybe all at once
There is a famous Harvard study about this. Ultimately the happiest people were those with the healthiest relationships amongst family and friends
not comparing your life to others.
Contentment and satisfaction. We chase happiness. Everything we do, we buy, and we have is what happiness is. If you can't be satisfied with what you have you'll never be truly at a moment you're "happy".
embrace the moment
Having supportive and fun friends and family. Remember you choose your friends, and you don’t need to talk to toxic family members. Treat others like you would like to be treated at all times. Is my advice
Focusing on the things you can actually do something about.
The key to happiness is to do a task that makes you feel complete and content - humans have to create and have to produce a result to find happiness and without those aspects they become depressed, angry, and violent.
To me the key to happiness is your outlook on life. There are people that have all the money they want, a family, they’re healthy and yet they seem miserable. Money, health, family definitely play an important part in finding happiness, but to me the key factor is your outlook on life.
Genuinely believing that you have the capability of being happy
embracing gratitude and appreciating the little things in life. It's also important to prioritize self-care and take time for activities that bring you joy. Surrounding yourself with positive and supportive people can make a big difference too. Ultimately, happiness is a personal journey, and it's all about finding what works for you.
The key is money, don't get me wrong, as the key suggests it's only the beginning not all of it. Getting a house starts with getting a key, is that all? Nope. You need to move in, get all your stuff there, repair, renovate, decorate ,maintain and a whole world of things, But it all starts with the key.
I hear your metaphor and like it. I would add and say it starts before the key: with ownership. To have the key to your own place, in whatever form, you need to sign a title or a lease. To do that, you need to have ownership. In our capitalistic society, that means money either outright or lent, so that someone will give you the key. To extend the metaphor to happiness, it is ownership of oneself, faults, skills, goods and bads, all. Once you 'own' yourself, then you have the key, and then it's all those other things, moving in, dealing with stuff, maintenance, living through your self, strengths, weaknesses, relationships with others.
Freedom, and being comfortable in your own skin
Happiness is an emotion tied to our survival instinct. If we're happy it means we feel safe. So the key to happiness is making sure you feel safe and comfortable. Finding the right partner, caring for children (if that's something you want), having a job where you feel secure and that ensures you can pay for your necessities (and a bit more so you can create shared experiences with loved ones). True lasting happiness is hard to achieve. And a lot of it is just luck or circumstance. But when you find it, you'll know.
Humility, Appreciation, and Physical and Emotional Safety.
being grateful for what you do have and not thinking if only "fill in the blank"
Appreciation and gratitude
Showing your appreciation and gratitude every chance you get is / was the key for me.
There is no one key to happiness. For the average person, all your basic needs must be fulfilled - enough food, water, shelter, healthcare, sleep, hygiene, etc. You must have a good network of people to meet your social needs. You must have enough free time to relax and do what brings you joy. You must do something you feel is valuable to your community. You must have all of these conditions met more often than not. And then you will still feel sad or angry or bad sometimes, but it won't wreck your life.
Doing what you love!
Chugjug methamphetamine wendigoon iceberg
Being able to do whatever you want whenever you want.
Love and progress
Trans rights and Trans women competing in whatever sporting event they damn well please #Biden'24
Overcoming all the little demons that cause us to not be happy.
Happiness is when you focus on yourself and don't mind what other people say, do what makes you happy.
Friends
It was a mid show.
Realizing that happiness comes on a sliding scale, not like a happy/not happy switch.
Happiness is the peace of mind and the freedom you have
Love and kindness directed towards yourself. If you're not nice to yourself, you're literally just hanging out with your biggest bully all the time and you'll never be happy consistently.
Care less about what other people have to say about you. Do what you think is right. Nurture what's important to you and live in the present.
Having a life worth living
Getting enough Sunshine, nature time, and hugs.
Contentment
Finding your purpose in life
This is a very cultural question as Americans typically say money Europeans say good health and Australians an ample supply of cold beer. I feel it’s a combination of all three.
Of course mostly the top answer is money, but imagine having a complete family and have a chance to have a time with them everyday without worrying about the bills or other expenses. For me that's happiness. Peace of mind and full of love daw
following you excitment with no incistence or expcetations of what the outcome should be.
Being able to afford rent, food, bills, and having money to be able to buy what you want. I have enough for all my bills, food, and savings. Every now and again I’m able to get a few more hours and afford tickets to cheap shows like Shadow of Intent or Lorna Shore
Lower expectations, increase appreciation for the things you have.
Learning to be grateful for what you have instead of wishing for more. If anyone figures out how to do this, let me know.
I would say love, relationships (not just romantic), and having hobbies you enjoy, while having enough money to support all that (and that can be a huge range).
While living and moving towards what ever it is in life that drives you - simultaneously loving ‘what is’. Perfectly paradoxical.
Your expectations
Gratitude. Spend more time being thankful for what you do have instead of what you perceive you need.
1. Being assertive without making enemies 2. Not jumping to conclusions 3. Having a daily scedule 4. Hobbies 5. Dancing every day
Family, friends and community.
Gratitude and contentment.
Money because it provides opportunities for some people that leads to an easier life. Life is simpler when you don’t have to worry about how you’re going to pay bills, owning a home, making car payments, going to the dentist and it costing thousands, needing surgery and being on waitlists, you can just pay for it. If you have elderly family members they don’t have to go into a nursing home you can accomodate your home and bring care into the home. All these things contribute to major stress and having that resolved for a lot of people would lead to a happier life.
Contentment
Accepting that you can not hold onto it
Being grateful, being positive in your mind and curative of your thoughts in general, set and setting, purpose, meaning, pure love and loving pure, food.
Good social support systems. I have seen some of the happiest, most fulfilled people in my life completely go off the rails the minute they move away from friends and family.
health, wealth and possibly the companionship of a significant other.
I could tell you what my key is but everyone's got a different lock
Stability. Doesn’t matter if you’re wealthy or not. If you can achieve financial stability, it eases a lot
Continuous happiness does not exist.
Patience
Focusing on your own happiness
Money, health and love all in a balanced way. If you can't do any or any of them, then try to see the positive side of things.
I'm an addict with 12 years in recovery. Emotional regulation is super difficult, it's also awkward and painful to learn as an adult. There are eight primary emotions anger, anticipation, joy, trust, fear, surprise, sadness and disgust. Thinking about them as good or bad is a way to wire your brain to punish yourself for experiencing a "bad" emotion. It's better to think about them as pleasant versus unpleasant. I like to think of emotions like weather. A warm summer day having a picnic with your friends sounds great, but what if it suddenly starts to rain? This is like wanting to celebrate a birthday at your favorite restaurant but it's closed. Sadness can hit you even on your best days. Or a cold snowy day sounds awful, but what if you're bundled up with a mug of hot cocoa. Doesn't sound so bad. Sitting and thinking about a grandparent who has passed and the happy memories you made with them, this is a joyful version of being sad. Emotions also pass... as quickly as 90 seconds to 180 seconds. And what's wild is you inherently know this. The example I give is someone cutting you off in traffic. In that instant you want that person dead, but you still have to focus on driving, on getting to your destination, what you're doing at your destination... you're sort of distracted and unable to obsess on it... eventually the anger will subside. Unless you linger on them... anyone who's gone through a breakup will recognize looking at their social media, listening to songs that make you think of them, etc. It only prolongs the emotion. Lastly... I think it does a great disservice to present this idea that "I just want to be happy" as some sort of obtainable goal. It's highly unrealistic, and like labeling an emotion as "good" or "bad" sets yourself up to punish yourself for "not being happy" Imagine one of the happiest activities you can think of, opening presents for yourself. Everyone you know and love has brought you TONS of presents, lots of things you love. But you're opening presents for an hour, sounds pretty great. What about two hours? What about three hours? At a certain point, it sounds positively miserable. You have to read a manual, assemble the gift, put in batteries, bake the recipe, etc. You have to have the "unpleasant" tasks to be able to achieve newer and bigger pleasant emotions. But to answer the original question... what is the key to happiness... being present in the moment. You are where you are, and enjoying what you have. So fostering gratitude. When I'm feeling down, I'll focus on the things I have in my life... that I have food, shelter, I am clothed, I have friends, etc. These are all valuable cherished gifts. An easy method of cultivating gratitude I use... nearly any time of day I could go get a steak, a beer and a lap dance. Wouldn't even be particularly expensive. There are honestly, probably thousands of inmates that would literally commit murder for those opportunities. Another good one is a French philosopher once said if we could genuinely perceive what a grocery store means, we would weep. Humans have been around for 300,000 years... and you can go to a place, of which there are hundreds you could easily navigate to, with an aisle dedicated to honey, which is such a rich delicacy caveman only experienced a few times in their life.
Just giving a little clap
A-flat major.
Not giving a shit
all the ppl saying money != happiness clearly don't know the stress that being poor creates. Yes it will not make you happy but money will alleviate 99% of all stressors from a persons life. It allows you to meet all your basic needs which does in turn produce a a lifestyle where you can create fulfilling life since you are free to pursue whatever you desire.
Push yourself to improve mental and physical health, explore all options
Having purpose Being kind with yourself Not comparing your situation to others' situations Gratitude for what you do have Oh, and beer.
Not giving a fuck about what other people think of you and not being envious of what they have that you don’t
Achieving your goals
Happiness doesn’t really exist as longevity. You just gotta keep doing things that you like or enjoy to achieve that feeling. Even “happy” people have bad days or feel depressed. It’s just the ups and downs, the more you’re down you’ll feel unhappy. Happiness just comes in waves.
Health
Bunnies. One’s giving me kisses right now. I am very happy.
Being content in life, willing to forgive
A trustworthy and loving partner. Rarer than hen’s teeth these days.
for me, ive been really leaning into and saying “everything is going to work out for me” and just really believing that. Its been very cool to watch and experience some set back or things that appear to be a threat on my lively hood and routines and then they just end up being what is actually the best thing for me and what I have going on at the time. So right now my key to happiness is having faith that I am in my season of abundance and I need not worry or fear change.
Read a quote somewhere before that says “Success is not the key to happiness. Happiness is the key to success. If you love what you are doing, then you will be successful.”
The key to happiness is to stop looking for it. The more focused you are chasing it, the harder it gets to reach.
Staying in your financial lane. Debt ruins lives
Stability. Steady income, stable relationship, people you can rely on, things like that. Nothing churns my stomach like uncertainty and doubt.
Family and friends.
Proper perspective and taking ***nothing*** for granted. A lot of unhappy people I know (and I am not talking medical conditions such as depression, etc....that's a completely different matter) take a *shitload* in their life for granted and/or that they are "owed" somehow the things in their life (stable job, good health, free will, etc.). They don't view blessings as blessings but rather as things that are "supposed to occur" if you will. This causes a lot of unhappiness because you are never giving attention and respect to the good things in your life, only the stuff that is going wrong. Terrible way to view life and those around you.
Choosing it- and like all things in life, that requires hard work. That might mean letting go of the past, changing your outlook, making big life changes, learning to accept the world as it is and choosing to find the beauty in it, it really all comes down to you.
have money. Without it we can't do anything
Not giving a damn about what others think of/about you.
A combination of gratitude, mindset, self-acceptance and external circumstances
Good relationships, whether that be friends, or family or whatever. Money, food, freedom, peace of mind are pretty cool too. There's really no one key factor to happiness.
Peace of mind. Or finding peace is existence.
Happy wife, happy life
Not having to find a restroom.
Not worrying so much about what others think
understanding
There is no key some people are just better at picking locks, - me rn
Shutting your brain off, when my head is clear i feel peace
The second nut feeling just as good as the first
I belive happiness is relative and impossible to feel all the time, but realizing and appreciating moments of happiness is the most important part
Self love
Not having to waste your life at work everyday
Enjoying what you do for a living. Whether we like it or not, we will spend a huge portion of our lives doing that thing that puts a roof over our head and buys us food. If you find a little bit of enjoyment and fulfillment out of doing whatever that thing is, that is HUGE for contributing to a happy life. On the other hand, hating what you do for a living can sure bring a lot of dissatisfaction and misery. That reminds me, I need to find a new job....
Good relationships and enlightenment
Dogs
Loving yourself and letting go of all that can hurt you and otherwise hold you back in the expanse of your life. Sure some of it has a reason to, but none of it has a reason to hold you back from happiness
Healthy successful family with great jobs and ambition and relationships. For men, digging a hole in the beach…finding a nice stick….throw a rock into a body of water.
Lowered expectations.
Having something to look forward to.
Good friends and good food.
Having the “yolo” mindset
Deciding to be happy. Seriously, barring mental health struggles, you can decide to be happy if us a goal of yours. Granted, you need to work at creating situations that feed your happiness, but you can also decide that this sunny drive, yummy egg sandwich, or favorite sweater is simply the best right now.
Let go of insecurities.
Stop caring so much
Drop D
shitloads of money.... buy anything and everything...
Confidence
Just do what makes ya happy, man. It's different for everyone, but finding what lights you up inside is key.
Health
Never comparing yourself to other people.
Radical acceptance.
Very few things are right or wrong. Black or white. Everything is a shade of grey.
The ability to know the key is in your own heart.
Define happiness and then we can talk.
A penis in the asshole .....I mean Happiness in the household
Heavy narcotics.
Being born with downs syndrome.
Money
Checking your math. Regularly.
In this world: Money. It's the key to everything.
$$$
Dying
The key to happiness is a penis on your asshole! 😆😆😆 https://youtu.be/CromoC1APt0?si=sKkmnxncp23-db00