Happiness what is happiness for you

What is Happiness, Really? (The Many Answers, Studies and Explanations)

Updated on October 13, 2021

Everybody wants to be happy, but most people struggle with defining it. What is happiness, really? What does it mean? Does happiness mean the same for me as it does for you?

It sometimes feels the more you try to answer these questions, the more your head starts to spin.

We’ve published more than 200 articles on happiness, and have filtered the best information into this single page. Our goal? To help you understand what happiness is.

Most recent articles about «What is happiness»

Here are the most recently added articles about happiness and what it is:

What is happiness in simple words?

There are many words that can be used to describe the meaning of happiness.

We performed a survey that asked respondents the following question:

Of the following words, which 5 words do you associate most with “happiness”?

Each respondent had to pick 5 words that they felt most associated with the word happiness:

The words appeared in random order. In total, this resulted in 5.775 answers.

Based on the answers of this survey, you can answer the question «what is happiness?» In simple words, happiness means:

At least, those are the most answered words in our survey.

However, these study results mostly showed us that happiness can be defined in a lot of different ways. Our respondents used all kinds of different combinations of words to describe happiness.

But is that the definitive answer to the question «what is happiness?»

What is the true meaning of happiness?

All these different words can be used to define happiness. But what is the true meaning of happiness really?

This completely depends on who you ask. Our definition of happiness is as unique as we each are ourselves. That’s because happiness is not just a single emotion or state of mind. It’s an equation of many different things. This happiness equation varies from person to person and from moment to moment.

To prove this point, I’ve looked at the ever-changing Wikipedia page on Happiness.

How Wikipedia defined happiness has changed drastically from 2007 to 2008. If you check again now, it has already changed again.

The point is that there’s not a single universally-agreed upon definition of happiness.

What factors determine happiness?

The study that we shared earlier shows how much everyone’s definition of happiness varies.

But what factors determine our happiness? How is our meaning of happiness influenced by different factors?

When you consider happiness and look at it from a distance, you will find that there are 3 things that can determine your happiness:

In one of our studies, we asked over 1,000 respondents to weigh these factors. Which one of these 3 factors determined your happiness the most?

What would you answer?

Would you answer 10% – 50% – 40%?

Or maybe 50% – 40% – 10%?

We averaged all the answers and found the following percentages: 24%, 40% and 36%.

But that’s beside the point. If this study showed anything it all, it further proved that our way of defining happiness is unique and should not be compared to what others think of happiness.

Therefore, we shouldn’t seek a universal definition of happiness.

Instead, we should do something else. Whenever we ask ourselves «what is happiness?», we should focus on defining what happiness means to ourselves.

How to define what happiness means to you

Last year, we performed an interesting experiment.

We asked 11 different people what happiness meant to them. The background of the people we asked varied from therapists and counselors to psychologists and neuroscientists.

Unsurprisingly, none of these people shared the same meaning of happiness.

One answer we received was:

Happiness means when you are living in accordance with your values.

While another answer we received was:

Happiness means embracing the messiness that comes from being a flawed human in an unpredictable world.

Even though the answers often share a common theme, there’s not a single meaning of happiness that everybody would agree with.

Eternal happiness doesn’t exist

In our journey to find out what happiness is, we found another important characteristic of happiness:

Happiness never lasts forever.

And that’s not a bad thing. Being unhappy sometimes is completely okay.

Even the happiest person alive has been unhappy at some point. Sadness is a vital emotion that we can’t turn off. Even if we could, we shouldn’t want to. We experience sadness in our lives in order to better appreciate and be grateful for the happy times in our lives.

The idea that being unhappy is a bad state to be in is just wrong. Everybody has his or her reasons to be unhappy sometimes, and those reasons can be perfectly valid.

Some examples of the things in our lives that we can’t fully control:

We experience sadness in our lives in order to better appreciate and be grateful for the happy times in our lives.

Be aware of the difference between long-term and short-term happiness

If you want to know what happiness means, it’s important to know the difference between being happy now and being happy later. If you’re aware of short-term vs long-term happiness, you’ll be much better able to understand what happiness really means to you.

I want you to picture some scenarios.

You might have guessed it, but this scenario is focused exclusively on short-term happiness. It’s a fact that pursuing nothing but short-term happiness does not lead to a sustainable happy life.

Now picture the following scenario:

This is another extreme example of happiness. You can probably see how this person is very likely unhappy. He is spending arguably the best years of his life making sacrifices in anticipation of what he eventually wants to become.

Happiness can be both a journey and a destination!

Happiness now vs. happiness later

The thing is, these extreme examples are not something that you should want. You can only lead a truly happy life when you actively pursue both short-term and long-term happiness.

It’s important to find out what your perfect balance is. Because once you find a balance that works for you, that’s when you’ll know what happiness is to you.

I’m not here to tell you that you should focus 50% of your attention on short-term happiness and the other 50% on long-term happiness. No. I’m here to tell you that you should be aware of your own happiness. Every single person on this planet has a different definition of happiness. You need to find out what happiness means to you, and how you want to pursue it.

They say happiness is a journey and not a destination. I think happiness should be both.

Why is happiness so important?

Why is happiness so important?

It’s not just because being happy makes our lives more fun and filled with joy. Happiness is also linked to success, mental health, physical health, productivity, positive relationships and living a purposeful life.

We’ve written numerous articles on the biggest factors that are correlated with happiness. Often, we try to find actionable tips on how to live a happier life.

But these factors work the other way around as well.

When you are happy, you are more likely to:

That’s why happiness is so important.

And that’s why it’s so critical to focus more on your personal happiness. However, it all starts with knowing what happiness means.

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All articles about “What is happiness”

Here at Tracking Happiness, we are extremely fascinated about happiness. We are always on the lookout to answer questions such as:

Whenever we learn something new, we usually write an article about it.

Here’s a full list of articles we’ve written about “What is happiness”:

Closing words

If you arrived at this post without having a clear idea of what happiness is, I hope you’re now able to define your personal meaning of happiness.

Now it’s time to hear from you! If I ask you «What is happiness?», I would love it if you’d drop your own answer in the comments below!

Hugo Huijer

Founder of Tracking Happiness and lives in the Netherlands. Ran 5 marathons, with one of them in under 4 hours (3:59:58 to be exact). Data junkie and happiness tracker for over 7 years.

What Does Happiness Mean to You? (1,155 Answers with 11 Examples)

Updated on August 4, 2022

There is no universally agreed-upon definition of happiness. If you google the definition of happiness, you’ll read that happiness means «the state of being happy». Not very helpful! So what does happiness mean to you? And what does happiness mean to me?

If I asked you and your neighbor what happiness means to you, the two answers would be wildly different. In fact, a survey we ran amongst 1,155 respondents proved that virtually no two people share the same meaning of happiness.

If you’re still looking for personal meanings of happiness, varying from person to person, then you’re in luck. Here are 11 varying answers to this question, which you can use to get inspired to think of what happiness means to you!

Our survey on the meaning of happiness

If you were asked to describe what happiness means to you without actually using the word “happiness”, what would you answer? We asked this question to over a thousand people and recorded the answers.

We asked them the following question:

Of the following words, which 5 words do you associate most with “happiness”?

Each respondent had to pick 5 words that they felt most associated with the word happiness.

Here’s which words they associated most with «happiness»:

These results showed us how differently people think about the meaning of happiness. (If you want more details on our results, you can find them here!)

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10 evidence-based tips to improve your mental health instantaneously when you need to take care of yourself!

What does happiness mean to you?

So it’s clear that the meaning of happiness varies from person to person. In fact, it even changes over time. What made me happy as a kid probably won’t make me happy as I get older.

That means that no one will share my exact meaning of happiness. Sure, some people will agree with what happiness means to me, but when you get into the details, my definition of happiness is as unique as I am myself.

That’s why I rounded up a handful of different people, with varying backgrounds and personalities, and asked them this simple question:

What does happiness mean to you?

Here are their answers:

What happiness means to.

Happiness means you can recognize and appreciate the good things.

Happiness is when you can recognize and appreciate the good things in your life without letting the bad things overshadow them. For the vast majority of us, the good in our life far outweighs the bad. Has your back been hurting lately? Consider that the rest of your body feels fine today.

Life is imperfect, filled with pluses and minuses. Focusing on the positives and savoring them is what happiness is about.

What happiness means to.

Happiness is when one’s behavior is in alignment with their values.

Happiness is when one’s behavior is in alignment with their values. In other words, if you are a person who values family, and you invest time, resources, and spend time with your family you are happy. If you are a person who values health, you’re happiest when you’re engaged in activities that promote health. So, the core element of happiness is knowing what you value and then adding those things into your life. A happy life is a series of happy moments strung together.

What happiness means to.

Emma Donovan – M.A., LPC, Therapist and Coach

Happiness means embracing the messiness that comes from being a flawed human in an unpredictable world.

I used to believe that I could earn happiness by maximizing my full potential, both personally and professionally. What I’ve realized, though, is that failure, disappointment, personal shortcomings, and uncomfortable emotions are part of life.

Happiness is not about transcending them through accomplishment, but rather embracing the messiness that comes from being a flawed human in an unpredictable world. Happiness is not achieved, it is lived as I embrace each moment.

What happiness means to.

Happiness means the ability to experience gratitude and meaning amidst all experiences.

Life will give us all sorts of experiences, but if we can exercise a grateful heart within it, we can have happiness in any given moment and to have happiness in each moment, is to have it fully. We can never have total control over what happens to us, so if we can find an ounce of gratitude and meaning in all scenarios, we can thrive and be happy regardless.

What happiness means to.

Happiness means enjoying the simple things in life.

When I think of happiness, I think of being curled up with a cup of tea and a good book on a rainy afternoon. I think of the smell of my mum’s freshly baked chocolate cake. I think of cuddling my sleeping baby and feeling the softness of his cheek against mine. Happiness is dark chocolate, good friends, and clean clothes fresh from the dryer. I think of freshly fallen snow and rainbows, the rumble of the waves at the beach, and the birds calling at dawn. Happiness is meeting my husband’s eyes across the room and feeling cocooned in his love.

What happiness means to.

What happiness means to.

Happiness is a mindset that is within our control.

Happiness is found when we can be content exactly where we are today and have the conviction to go after what we want tomorrow. It’s found in the moments of calm when our vision is clear, and in learning to savor the small things like a sunset, our favorite coffee, or a great conversation. We all want to be happy, so it’s best when we train our minds to find it in the things that happen almost every day.

Above all else, happiness is a mindset that is within our control, it just takes self-awareness to access it so spend some time getting to know yourself and your definition of happiness will follow.

What happiness means to.

Happiness means when you are living in accordance with your values.

Happiness is when you are living in accordance with your values. It’s when you know what matters in your life (which many people struggle to actively define) and you are in the active pursuit of those values. It does not mean that you are always successful in your pursuits; rather, you are intentional about how you place your time and energy.

Happiness also comes when we practice gratitude on a daily basis. It’s when we appreciate not only the aspects of our life that have gone «right,» but when we give thanks for the struggle as well. Even when we’re in pain, we are growing and there is just as much beauty in that experience.

What happiness means to.

Happiness means being at peace with my past, optimistic about my future, and enjoying the present.

Happiness for me is about being at peace with my past, optimistic about my future, and enjoying the present. This means I can look back on my past with gratitude for what has happened. I can look to my future and feel hopeful about what is to come and the experiences I want to create. In the present I use mindfulness, gratitude, savoring, meaning, and purpose to experience frequent positive emotions.

What happiness means to.

Happiness means exploring and being in touch with our best selves.

What happiness means to.

To me, happiness means finding the perfect balance between long-term and short-term happiness. Short-term happiness can be found in the simple joys of life, like going on a nice date with my girlfriend, running outside, laughing with my friends, or even just enjoying a cup of coffee on a Sunday morning. On the other hand, I find long-term happiness in following my purpose in life, being free and stress-free, and working actively towards a better future.

In short, my meaning of happiness is enjoying my life as it is right now, while not having to worry about my happiness in the future!

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Closing words

There you have it: 11 different examples of what happiness can mean to you. What this article proves, once again, is that happiness is different for everybody. What makes me happy doesn’t necessarily have to make you happy as well. It’s what makes happiness such a beautiful thing to learn about.

With that said, I’d love to hear from you in the comments below! What does happiness mean to you?

Hugo Huijer

Founder of Tracking Happiness and lives in the Netherlands. Ran 5 marathons, with one of them in under 4 hours (3:59:58 to be exact). Data junkie and happiness tracker for over 7 years.

4 thoughts on “What Does Happiness Mean to You? (1,155 Answers with 11 Examples)”

Thank you for all the good thoughts about happiness!

I agree with all of the positive aspects mentioned (meaning, gratitude/appreciation, acceptance, hedonism, short-term long-term, true to self’s values, etc.) but I also take another angle at the subject which none of your experts directly mentioned: the absence or reduction of the things which make us unhappy.

If happiness is an enhanced state of wellbeing, what are the things that diminish this state? Or in other words, what are the things that make us unhappy? If we removed or reduced the things that produce our unhappiness, would we by default be happier?

For myself, I’ve compiled a list of over 50 things that contribute to my diminishing state of wellbeing. I call them my Termites of Happiness (from behavioral and cognitive patterns, self-worth issues, guilt, anxiety, areas of dissatisfaction, and many other things). I have found as I eliminate or reduce these termites, I have become happier.

How do you remove guilt, shameful/embarrassing memories, anxiety, self-worth issues, and all the other things that diminish happiness? If you personally resolve these, wouldn’t you experience your best and happiest life?

Thank you for your efforts towards a happier world!

Thanks for sharing your thoughts Tom!

In my opinion, it really depends on who you are as a person.

There are always some factors in your life that you can directly control. For me, one of those is the amount of sleep I get. I am 99% responsible for how much «tiredness» impacts my happiness, which is why I focus on getting enough sleep.

But some things are beyond my control, and I believe they should be. It’s got something to do with your comfort zone/bubble of happiness. You may be able to remove all negative factors from your life, but that would mean that you’ll be living in a bubble without any risk, thrills or excitement.

In the end, no matter how hard you try, unhappiness is a part of life. I find it’s best to embrace this part, and learn to go with the flow.

Being aware of this part really helps here though, hence why I track my happiness. 🙂

Thanks again for sharing!

I am basically a happy person but things that increase my happiness are the things I accomplish. I know what things make me feel happier and yet I don’t always do them. At 72 I have spent a lot of time doing things that I had to do to earn a living and raise a family. Now in life if I take time to watch tv read play games on electronics look at emails and texts and not accomplish tasks it is ok. But I do feel better about having balance in my life where I accomplish tasks and still do the downtime things.

That is great. I think you have a good balance between short and long-term happiness. Watching TV and playing games might not make you feel productive, but if you enjoyed it and don’t over-indulge, then it’s nothing to feel bad about! 🙂 It’s all about finding your balance.

What Is Happiness?

What is happiness and how it can be found? Useful tips from professional psychologists. Keep them in mind!

If you ask your friends and relatives «What is happiness?» be ready to hear a lot of different answers.

One person cannot be happy without love and family, while another person needs to be respected by the others.

Some people want to have a life, full of fun and entertainment, while other people will be satisfied with a bowl of rice and a pair of shoes. There are also people who think that only one of these aspects of happiness is not enough; they want to have all of them at once.

The question “What is happiness?” cannot have the only possible answer, and this fact has been repeatedly proved by the greatest intellects of different ages, including writers, philosophers, scientists, journalists and thinkers.

We may not be able to answer this question, but we can work out several ways that will help a person to find happiness.

What is Happiness, According to Famous People?

The explanatory dictionary defines happiness as the state of joy, complete satisfaction and emotional upheaval.

In other words, I would characterize this state as “Awesome!” or “Super!” 😎

Even Aristotle tried to answer the question “What is happiness?”. According to him, a soul of a person who leads a virtuous life deserves to feel complete satisfaction.

On the contrary, Leonardo Da Vinci, a hardworking artist whose heritage includes many masterpieces, thought that only a diligent person can find happiness.

Grygoriy Landau, a famous Russian journalist, shared Da Vinci’s opinion. He used to say that only bad things happen for no reason, while the feeling of greatest joy presupposes a lot of hard work to be done.

In his turn, the author of many aphorisms Kozma Prutkov (for those, who aren’t familiar with this name: Kozma Prutkov is a group of authors, who wrote under one pen-name) said: “If you want to be happy, just do it!”

This opinion I like most of all.

I always say that our happiness depends only on ourselves.

If you are constantly complaining about problems and discontent from your life, you should accuse not other people or bad luck, but yourself!

How My Friend Has Understood What Happiness Is

Success is getting what you want.
Happiness is wanting what you get.
Carnegie, Dale.

When I went to school, I had a friend called Alyona.

She always studied hard and dreamt of becoming a doctor. Her parents couldn’t afford to pay for the course of studies at the local medical university, so Alyona moved to Poland, where she worked as a junior nurse for a year and then received a diploma of a hospital nurse.

Later, her relatives that lived in Spain offered her to enter the University of Barcelona, because local authorities always encouraged young and smart foreigners to receive higher education there.

Having learned both written and spoken Spanish in three months, Alyona became a student.

Despite the kindness of her relatives who provided her with a place to live, Alyona still needed money.

She found a job, but it was very difficult for her to combine work with study. During the 4 th year of studies Alyona fell into depression.

She often complained to me about her constant fatigue and exhaustion. She made up her mind to quit everything and return home. Alyona stopped understanding what happiness is and where it can found.

Fortunately, Alyona managed to make some effort and pull oneself together.

She graduated from the university and applied for internship.

Right now Alyona is planning her wedding with a great guy.

She says that she is very happy and doesn’t regret suffering from some problems in the past.

Now she knows for sure that the way to happiness is not easy to find.

Happiness Is…

The first step you have to make is to ask yourself a question «What is happiness?«.

You don’t have to make your answer lofty and nicely structured.

You are not Aristotle, and nobody will read your words. Don’t try to answer this question in one sentence.

It’s even better if you come up with several points. In this way, you will be able to express the essence of this issue.

For example, in my opinion happiness is:

Now let’s try to figure out what I have to do (and I’m currently doing this!) in order to find happiness.

I’d like to analyze each point of our list.

Good health and well-being of my relatives, friends and my own

I do the following:

Self-improvement in my spheres of interest

I do the following:

Enough money for a decent life

I do the following:

Satisfaction from private life

I do the following:

Now you have to do the same.

You should make a list of your components of happiness and the ways for its achievement.

Don’t be afraid of possible problems or misunderstanding, they are always accompanying a successful person.

Don’t be afraid to change your life completely, it’s impossible to find happiness without doing it. Take a risk if you know that happiness is somewhere around.

I can often hear people saying: “Who prevents me from finding happiness?”

The answer is obvious: walk up to the mirror and look into the eyes of the person who prevents you from achieving your dreams.

Only you are able either to reach the top, or to live all your life being miserable.

What Is Happiness – Definition and Meaning

If you ask people, what is happiness and what does it means to them, you will probably receive many different answers to your question.

Some would say that happiness means being wealthy. Others would say that for them, it means to be healthy.

You will also find people saying that for them happiness means having love in their life, having many friends, a good job, or achieving a certain goal.

There are people, who believe that the fulfillment of a certain wish would create joy and contentment in their life, but this is not always true. Often, when we get our wish fulfilled, we just move to the next wish, without even enjoying and celebrating our achievement.

As you see, different people interpret this word in different ways.

The pursuit of happiness is common to all people. Everyone is seeking happiness in one way or another.

To most people this word signifies a good feeling, satisfaction, pleasure or fun.

You may enjoy a good meal, a movie, a show or a vacation, and you may have fun at a party, but this is pleasure and fun, not necessarily happiness.

Pleasure and fun depends on external factors, and often relate to the five senses. However, the feeling and mental frame we are talking about here is something different.

What Is Happiness? – Definitions

People pursue happiness in every situation, even if they are not aware that this is one of their goals, even if it is short term happiness.

What is the definition of happiness? Can happiness be defined? What does the word happiness mean?

Is it just a good feeling, joy, satisfaction or more?

People throughout the ages have asked these questions. They have wondered what is this feeling of happiness, what makes it arise, and how to hold it longer.

Is happiness a physical reaction, the effect of certain hormones in the body? Is it dependent on certain external circumstances, or is it some kind of inner, mental, emotional or state? All these could be triggers that lead to experiencing it.

Happiness often comes and goes. It comes, stays for a little while, and then some negative feeling replaces it and it is gone. Does this mean that we have no control of happiness and we cannot lengthen its duration?

We can define this word as satisfaction. When there is job satisfaction, love, relationship and life satisfaction, there is a greater level of happiness.

It is a good feeling, joy and a sense of wholeness.

Research suggests that happiness is related to kindness, gratitude, and the capacity for love.

What Is happiness According to Various Sources

Happiness definition according Wikipedia, Merriam Webster and other sources.

Wikipedia defines happiness as, “A mental or emotional state of well-being which can be defined by, among others, positive or pleasant emotions ranging from contentment to intense joy.”

Wikipedia also says, “Philosophers and religious thinkers often define happiness in terms of living a good life, or flourishing, rather than simply as an emotion.”

In an article on forbes.com, George Bradt writes that a survey of Harvard’s class of 1980, concluded that, “Happiness comes from choosing to be happy with whatever you do, strengthening your closest relationships and taking care of yourself physically, financially and emotionally.”

The same article says that 2015 Survey by Grant and Glueck studies shows:

Merriam Webster defines happiness as, “A state of well-being and contentment.”

I would like to suggest another definition for happiness, which I found from experience. This is a different definition, which I have written about in several articles and in my books.

“Happiness is a state of inner joy, which comes about when the mind becomes quiet, free from restless thinking and worries.”

People, who have been practicing meditation regularly, and who have learned to calm down their mind, would know exactly what I mean.

This might seem strange to you, but if you pay attention to your state of mind when you are happy, you would find out that this is true.

In all these situations, you experience a feeling of relief, freedom and joy.

For a while, your mind is free from planning, thinking, anticipating and worrying. When this happens, for a while, you feel happy. For a while, there are no thoughts in your mind that attract your attention and you enjoy happiness.

What does all this mean? It means that happiness and inner peace are interconnected. When the mind is quiet, there is happiness, and when there is happiness, the mind becomes quiet.

When a problem disappears, or when you achieve a goal, the mind becomes quiet for a while, and relieved of its worrying and constant thinking. At this moment, happiness rises within you, since there is nothing to stop it.

However, after a while, the mind returns to its habitual thinking and worrying, get out of this state inner calmness.

If you experience happiness when there is inner peace, it means that if you train your mind to be peaceful you would have more happiness in your life. I do not want to go deeply into this topic, since I have written about it in my other articles, which can find on this website.

What Is Happiness and How It Improves Your Life

Here are a few additional definitions of happiness and its affect on one’s health and life.

Tips and Suggestions to Follow

About the Author

My name is Remez Sasson. I am the author and creator of SuccessConsciousness.com, which I have been running since 2001. Join me on a fabulous journey to self improvement, happiness, success, positive lifestyle, conscious living and meditation, through my website, articles and books.

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What is Happiness to You? Insights From Our Community

In honor of Happiness Happens Month, we decided to leave the more official definitions in the dust and find out what happiness really means—to real people living real lives. We already know what the research says, but how does that play out in daily life? What is happiness from a personal perspective? So we went to our readers, the Panda Planner community, and even staff in search of wisdom. And you didn’t let us down. Below is a list of your top insights in response to this question: What is happiness to you?

What is Happiness Really?

For us, it’s so many thoughtful and inspiring responses to this question. So what is happiness to you? Well, it’s pretty much identical to what it means to researchers. (You didn’t think we could leave research out of this entirely, did you?) Interestingly enough, many of the responses are supported by science—things like spending time with loved ones, being out in nature, and accepting where you are right now. Consider us proud and impressed.

We divided the responses into categories because certain themes kept emerging. Read on to get a big dose of wisdom, and share your answer to the question in the comments.

Discovering joy in the ordinary

“Happiness for me fluctuates daily. Some days it’s a cup of coffee in the morning in the garden. Or snuggles from my dog. A great hike with my hubby through the woods. Enjoying watching my kids become amazing adults. Any time spent by the water. Wandering through an art museum. Making my own art. My hands in the soil, helping things grow.”
—Patti Hedrick

“Happiness is the little moments—it’s sitting and being present with my family, listening to their silly stories, laughing until I am crying. It’s hugging my kids and husband and being present in the hug. I honestly think happiness is being present and finding the joy in every moment. And I need it like I need the air to breathe.”
—Aimee Marino

“Happiness is dancing in my house with my husband and daughter.”
—Melissa Rencehausen

“Happiness to me is pancakes with my husband on Saturday morning. Our schedules are so hectic it’s the only chance we get.”
—Dianne Brown

Spending time with the people that matter most

“Happiness means being content at the end of each day and waking up the next to go after your goals. It’s crashing ocean waves, big breakfasts, ice cream with extra peanut butter sauce. It’s helping family and friends find their happiness, having plenty to do and plenty of people to share it with.”
—Stephanie Kessler

“Happiness is having car conversations with my kids. I love when they aren’t plugged into devices, pay attention to the sights around them, and ask questions. This morning we talked about my job history, bail bonds, bounty hunters, and police dogs and stopped to take a picture of an amazing moth we saw at the drive-thru. You can’t force moments like that!”
—Jennifer St. Denis

“Happiness is being around the people I love and helping them be the best version of themselves. When I’m confronted with something that is troubling someone, I help them get through it, whether that’s giving meaningful advice or a pat on the back. True happiness for me is being able to support those around me in big and small ways—looking for nothing but seeing them smile!”
—Geno Wilson

“To me, happiness is synonymous with connection. I feel most happy, most content, and most grateful when I’m experiencing moments where I feel connected to myself, connected to others, connected to the world, and connected to something greater.”
—Bailey Reagan, Customer Experience Manager, Panda Planner

“Happiness means my toddler running to me, yelling ‘Mama!’ at the top of her lungs and jumping into my arms to give me the biggest hug ever. She may only be two, but she brings joy everywhere she goes—especially when she doles out amazing hugs.”
—Jessica Linney

“Happiness is the dribble of nectarine down my neck on a hot summer day. It’s unexpected quality time with loved ones. Happiness is sharing your gifts with others, passing on a smile, freedom from suffering. It’s pure distracted presence in the moment!”
—Jenné Marley

“Happiness to me is feeling content. I feel the most content when I’m with my family and friends, laughing over good food and a glass of wine. It’s those moments in life when I wish I could make time stop, so we could stay in them forever.”
—Jill Donelly, Director of Social Media Marketing, Panda Planner

Accepting the ups and downs

“Happiness for me means enjoying the ups and downs in life. Even the downs have a silver lining, as long as you are willing to see it. On days that are harder than others, I remind myself that every day above ground is a good one.”
—Sheri Oriyavong

“Happiness is greeting each day with confidence and excitement, feeling certain and sure in my choices. Not a lot can top that surge of euphoria when I accept that as it is, with all its flaws, life is wonderful!”
—Angelika Roerig

“To me, happiness isn’t about smiling all the time or never feeling sad, but instead, happiness is being able to appreciate the ups as well as the downs in your life. Allowing yourself to be present with and truly feel everything that life presents without desperately trying to hold onto or push away certain thoughts, feelings, and experiences.”
—Michael Leip, Creator and Founder of Panda Planner

“Happiness is to not be weighed down by guilt or self-doubt, to accept myself as I am, to appreciate what I have in my life—my health, a career that pays for my physical needs, my dog—and most importantly, to have friends and loved ones who are there for me.”
—Ah Wei

“Happiness doesn’t have to be big bright and shiny. Sometimes happiness may be a day of just okay. Your family is healthy, everyone is gainfully employed, and there are no immediate crises. As I grow older, I appreciate the simple things more than I once did resulting in more consistent happy!”
—Laurie Jones

Being in nature

“Happiness for me is waking up in a tent near water with the smell of pine and campfire. Sometimes my more attainable happiness is gathering with people in my city at a class or workshop. Escaping my life as CEO of a start-up to head to the woods takes organization. I’m not always able to balance it all but I feel confident that I’ll find my way back to the woods…or just a local glass-blowing class.”
—Jemal Swoboda

“Happiness is grabbing a cup of joe in the morning, going out to my porch, and enjoying the nature in my backyard, including any creatures who are up for a visit.”
—Jessica Mahoney

“Happiness to me is being in nature, walking through a field with the wind around me, and remembering a hot summer when my daughters loved to hide in the long grass with our dog. That memory makes me smile every single time.”
—Emma Willmer

“Happiness to me is going home from work, hitting my half-mile driveway, and seeing my farm! It brings me peace and happiness. Then going and visiting with my husband and grandson, who has been spending the summer with us.”
—Sheryl Teuscher

Finding meaning

“Happiness means fulfillment. This can look like almost anything, and it can change unexpectedly. Sometimes to feel happy (and fulfilled) it’s enough to finish a book or eat a good meal. Other times, it’s not that quick. It can take months of work to get to that feeling of happiness. For me, happiness means always having or doing at least a few things that give you that feeling of fulfillment. If I have more positives than negatives in terms of feeling fulfilled, I consider myself happy.”
—Liz Thomas

“Happiness is being happy about where my life is going!”
—Shannon McConnell

“Happiness to me is waking up knowing I have a new day to do something great and to make the world a better place.”
—Tavia L. Lawson

Choosing your perspective

“Happiness to me is a vibration in my body; it’s the feeling of being electric, peaceful and in the flow all at once. My favorite thing about happiness is that it’s a feeling. I have access to it whenever I want by thinking a thought that provides me with the feeling. Life is 50 percent positive and 50 percent negative, and that’s okay because without the contrast life would be medium all the time. And who wants medium?”
—Dorothy Johnson, Operations Assistant & Production Manager, Panda Planner

“To me, happiness is humor, especially when things are going completely sideways. In fact, I find humor even more valuable when it’s at my own expense. Because let’s be real, life is straight-up ridiculous, often painful, and punctuated with ellipses. It’s your call whether you make your story a comedy or a tragedy; all of ours could go either way. As for me, I’m choosing laughter the same way I’m choosing happiness—because I can.”
—Chelsey Taylor, Content Manager, Panda Planner

What is happiness to you?

Now think about your answer. What is happiness in your life? Is it little, everyday moments? Or is it nurturing your connections with others—or with nature? Maybe it’s accepting life right where you are, even if it’s not quite where you want to be. Jot down the first thing that comes to your mind, and make it a point to prioritize your happiness, whatever that means to you.

Your turn: What is happiness to you and how do you make more of it? Tell us in the comments.

Quotes have been edited for clarity and brevity.

Author: Chelsey Taylor

Chelsey likes words, especially adjectives, and has been perfecting her perfectionism since infancy. She’s an endorphin-gatherer, top-knot connoisseur, and content manager at Panda Planner.