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How Do You Define Happiness?

I view happiness as feeling content - knowing that no matter what comes your way you'll be able to cope. So it doesn't mean doing cartwheels down the passage everyday - that's more like what psychology would term 'manic'. Nor does it mean being complacent. Complacency occurs when we're no longer growing and learning. It will make us unhappy.

It's also important to recognise that, at best, we can only hope to be relatively happy most of the time. Life is a series of growth stages and after managing each challenge, time is required to integrate the learning that has occurred. However if this integration stage continues for too long, it is quite likely that you'll start to feel uncomfortable or frustrated. Taking on the next challenge, with its potential for learning, is exactly what is required to break the discomfort and keep one relatively happy most of the time.

Obviously, given the definition of happiness above, the more experiences one has and the more one has learnt and grown from these experiences, the happier one becomes. Therefore, the potential for happiness increases with one's feeling of confidence.


Next FAQ: How Do We Teach Our Children To Become More Emotionally Intelligent?

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