Turning on the Light of Happiness

 To me, happiness is feeling good about myself and the people I care about.

Happiness is neither a quantifiable term nor a relative term that can be derived

from comparison with others. People cannot be happier than other people or the

happiest because happiness cannot be measured. They are either happy or they

are not. That is why my conditions for achieving happiness are mine alone and

cannot be used to judge the happiness of others.

My first condition for happiness is to have a purpose in life. My purpose in life is

to make use of my ability to help myself and others. Having a purpose in life is like

knowing your final destination when traveling. This overarching purpose justifies all

the hard hours I put into work and study. Knowing that the effort I make every day

brings me closer to my final destination makes me happy because I know that my

time spent was worthwhile.

My second condition for happiness is maintaining a positive outlook and letting go

of things that are beyond my control, instead of wasting time and energy pursuing

them. I think happiness is all about the choices that I make and I try to think ‘the

glass is half full’ rather than ‘the glass is half empty.’ Appreciating and being

grateful about the things I already have changes my perspective and attitude. Like

the lyrics of the famous song sung by Doris Day, ‘Que Sera Sera, whatever will be

will be,’ things will turn out the way they are supposed to. So try to be happy and

thankful about the way things are.

My third condition for happiness is surrounding myself with people I care about.

I do not live alone in this world. The fact that there are people who care about me

and tell me it is perfectly okay not to be happy all of the time assures me that I

am a worthy lovable person no matter what kind of state I am in. These people

make me realize that when happiness is shared, it is not divided and diminished

but rather it is multiplied and expanded.

I have tried my best to define what happiness is to me and my conditions for

achieving happiness. As  Albus Dumbledore, the headmaster of Hogwarts in the

Harry Potter series, says, “Happiness can be found even in the darkest of times if

one only remembers to turn on the light.” To turn on the light of my happiness,

first, I need to keep a clear eye on my purpose in life and constantly check

whether I am on the right track. Next, I should strive to keep a positive perspective

because it gives me courage to pursue, to let go and to start over again.

Finally, I shall surround myself with people I care about and people who care about

me to ensure my happiness. Because happiness is not a trophy that you win at the

end of a race, it is a process that entails enjoying the view while taking a walk in

life with people you love.