Our Quest for Happiness
All our actions are geared towards achieving our own happiness. We firstly focus on our basic physiological needs of food, clothing and shelter. After we meet these needs, then, according to Maslow’s hierachy of needs, we proceed to focus on achieving higher needs. These are needs of safety, love and belonging, self-esteem and eventually self-actualisation. All these needs lead to happiness.
How successful are we in our quest for happiness? Is it a wild goose chase? How do we go about attaining happiness? What is the formula for attaining happiness? Is there an ultimate guide to attaining happiness?
The Attainment of Happiness
Can we, for instance, find happiness by acquiring money and wealth and the life of luxury it affords? For example, it would be gratifying to own a yacht and go on a luxury cruise. It would similarly be wonderful to own a private jet and fly around the world. At the very least, with wealth you can afford to buy whatever you want. Consequently, would that not be enough to make you happy?
There are, however, a number of rich people with their own peculiar problems. A rich person could be suffering from insomnia and may hardly be able to sleep a wink at night. Consequently, this may result in constant irritability. In a similar vein, another rich person could have bouts of depression and suicidal tendencies. In view of this, can we say that these people are happy?
On the other hand, is hedonism the answer? Philosophers have espoused the ethical theory that pleasure, in the sense of the satisfaction of the desires, is the highest good and the proper aim of human life. A hedonistic person is committed to seeking sensual pleasure.
We all have some hedonistic traits. We cannot downplay the joys of a thorough full body massage with aromatic candles in an exotic spa. What about when we smack our lips with relish after enjoying a gourmet meal? Are we not showing appreciation for sensual pleasures?
In all these though, moderation is key as excesses have their attendant problems. Think of the morbidly obese glutton or the raging alcoholic. Are they happy?
Yet still, what about academia, power or fame? Can any of these lead to happiness? All of these may indeed have their perks. However, as the philosopher in Ecclesiastes in the Bible bemoans, “All is vanity.”
For its part, can being in a state of good health make you happy? We can all attest to how good we feel after an invigorating run or bout of exercise. We cannot overemphasize being physically fit and healthy. The quote, “a sound mind in a sound body”, by the Greek philosopher Thales, demonstrates the close links between physical exercise, mental equilibrium and the ability to enjoy life.
And what about having good relationships with others? Can that make us happy? The seventeenth century writer, John Donne, in his work expressed the idea that no man is an island. As such, no one is truly self-sufficient. Thus, everyone must rely on the company and comfort of others to thrive. It is questionable whether hermits are truly happy. We do derive happiness from our relationship with others. As an example, just experience the wonder of gazing into the eyes of a child.
In another case, can we find happiness in morality, self-sacrifice, service and generally living a life of purpose? Moral values such as integrity, loyalty and honesty and compassion give you the peace of mind you need to go about your daily life. We derive a sense of accomplishment when we effectively serve others.
According to Ralph Waldo Emerson, “The purpose of life is not to be happy. It is to be useful, to be honourable, to be compassionate, to have it make some difference that you have lived and lived well.”
Hence, is it futile to directly pursue happiness?
Conclusion
We can liken happiness to an elusive butterfly that flits away when we approach it. We can also liken happiness to a mirage, that disappears into thin air when we see it up close, after it has given the illusion of being a sheet of water on a hot road that we see from afar.
Can we therefore, conclude that happiness is a by-product of a purposeful life; something which occurs when we least expect it to? Who is not thrilled at the sight of a flower sprouting out of the crevice of a rock?
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Certainly we want to love God, Christ, and ourselves but it is impossible unless the Spirit gives us supernatural love by simply saying “Spirit of God, I surrender to you.” By that very act He will flood our soul and being with the supernatural love to exhibit to all and live a fulfilled life, as Paul wrote to the church at Rome, “And hope does not put us to shame, because God’s love has been poured out into our hearts through the Holy Spirit, who has been given to us” (Rom. 5:5).
May we be encouraged in the Lord to love and grow in love.
Amen.
As human beings, we were created by Jehovah God and did not just evolve from apes or anything of that sort as some theorists of evolution claim.And just as a manufacturer provides a manual for easy usage of his product, so it is with God Almighty. He has given us the Bible which contains His principles and commandments that when we apply them , will benefit us immensely.
So I believe if we truly want to be happy in life as human beings then we need to consult His word the Bible and read it and apply the things in it to our lives and we’re good to go. At 1 Timothy 1:11 the Bible makes it clear that Jehovah God is a happy God and definitely His worshippers will also be happy just like Him.To buttress this point, we’re told at Psalms 1:1-3 that happy is the man that does not walk in the counsel of the wicked ones but in the law of Jehovah and iin his law , he reads in an undertone day and night and he’ll certainly become like a tree planted by streams of water that gives its own fruit in its season and the foliage of which does not wither and everything he does will succeed.
Great piece, Madam. Happiness for me is therefore a composite of all the good things above-mentioned and more importantly, doing the will of our Maker. Awesome 👍
Very inspiring message.
What is ‘happiness’? For me it is a deep satisfaction/fulfillment found ONLY within one’s self.
Nice article. Truly, we were born to achieve things that please the Lord. We were born to think of OTHERS. Thanks.
Happiness is neither self-gratification nor is it a sensation. It is a state of mind that is characterized by tranquility and peace with oneself and all around including one’s environment. It also characterized with deep love and emanates from just one source. It isn’t vanity as Solomon would want us to believe. It is real and enduring and remains even in pain and unto death. It doesn’t wax or wane. Solomon didn’t get it because he asked for knowledge and wisdom from God and didn’t ask to be filled with God’s love. He looked for it from the wrong things and from the wrong places.
I agree with you absolutely, the fact that Solomon sought for pleasure at the wrong places instead of reverting to God. This makes me want to say that, things said in the Bible ought to be placed in proper context by readers.
Happiness is a choice I make every wakening moment by being content with what I have achieved and striving for a better tomorrow. Life is practically an unending circus of wants and needs. Nothing truly satisfies.
Throughout my entire life, I have arrived to be a happy man. But indeed, on the surface, I have everything required to reach such a state of contentment, joy, Happiness, and full of love; a loving husband, beautiful children, a nice house, the absence of debt or physical impediments.
But however, despite all these, despite my best attempts to remain positive in life, most of my waking life is spent in a state that is far, far short of euphoric. I walk in illusion. True Happiness is hard to find..
HAPPINESS has traditionally been considered an elusive and evanescent thing. To some, even trying to achieve it is an exercise in futility. It has been said that “happiness is as a butterfly which, when pursued, is always beyond our grasp, but which if you will sit down quietly, may alight upon you.”
In the beginning was LOVE and it’s been love till date, and it’s clear in the two most important commandants of God, saying, love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength; and love your neighbor as yourself. (Mark 12: 30&31)
The Lord commands us to love genuinely and mean it. And it’s out this sincerely love devoid of any hidden agenda that we imbibe in us moral values such as integrity, loyalty, honesty and compassion to live for God, ourselves and humanity.
Powerful!
Thanks madam.
Most welcome
I enjoyed reading this, very well articulated.
True happiness for me, comes from a deep relationship with God. Understanding that God is the foundation of our lives. Seeing God as our all- sufficiency.
Without this understanding, all the earthly or physical desires will always weigh us down because they cannot in themselves permanently guarantee our true happiness. They are can fail us !
When our lives are not firmly rooted in Christ and we lose these earthly desires, we tend to struggle a lot.
We must seek true happiness from God first so that in the inevitably difficult times, we will not be too broken.
God bless !
I agree, true happiness indeed comes from a deep relationship with God. Thanks so much for your comments. May God bless us all!