"Cause I'm Happy!"

Pharrell’s song “Happy” has been stuck in my head for months. Something about the catchy tune and beat, I just can’t let it go. However, I think it’s more than that. I love the idea of being so happy that nothing could bring me down. It really has me thinking about what happiness is, what it means, and how do we achieve it.

Happy itself is an adjective. Merriam – Webster defines it as “favored by luck or fortune” or “notably fitting, effective, or well adapted.” If we go by the first definition, it appears that happy is out of our reach because it is simply only to be found if we happen to fall into luck and fortune’s good graces. It seems as if that leaves it up to karma or the universe to bestow good luck on us. I, for one, don’t have the best luck, and yet I believe that I am happy, at least some of the time, so the first definition doesn’t really work for me.

The “notably fitting, effective, or well adapted” rings much more true for me, and I think it is what Pharrell is really getting at in the song. To be so well adapted and content within oneself that nothing can bring me down or hold me down. I think that type of happiness is more fulfilling for me. It allows us to overcome obstacles and still enjoy life when luck and fortune aren’t favoring us.

How do we achieve this happiness? I think this is different for each of us. What makes me happy may or may not make you happy. I am most happy when I am with my children and watching them play and learn. I also feel happy when I am doing other things that I enjoy. The happiness in those moments remains with me and helps to carry me through the difficult times. These are external things that make me feel happy.

However, I believe there are also internal things that can contribute to our happiness such as belief that I am a worthwhile person, my self-esteem. This I think is possibly the hardest sense of happiness to achieve, especially in today’s world. We are bombarded by images of what things are “supposed” to be like. It’s almost impossible not to compare ourselves to others whether it’s celebrities or our friends on Facebook. I think it is important for us to examine our own lives and our own positive qualities. This helps us to improve our sense of self-worth and happiness.

Ultimately, while I believe that luck and fortune can contribute to happiness, and I don’t believe they are the sole factors making us happy or unhappy. I think it is up to us to determine our own level of happiness and fulfillment and to be able to not let anything bring us down. While it is an ongoing journey for each of us, I do believe the journey is worth taking and continuing.

What makes you happy? Do you want me to help you find your sense of feeling like a “room without a roof?”

#happiness #selfesteem