What Does Happiness Feel Like, and is It Subjective?

What does happiness feel like? If you were to ask 5 different people this question, you would most likely get 10 different answers. Everyone is unique and what makes us happy is no exception. 

Yet, in our society, we are constantly bombarded with messages that tell us that we need more, need better and need something different to make us happy.

I want everyone to know that you DO NOT need more money, fancy cars, luxury brands or even a larger house to be completely and utterly happy!

I firmly believe that being happy is something we are ALL born with. It doesn’t have a price tag and certainly can’t be bought!

So, next time you feel like you need something… don’t! Take a moment and remember what makes you truly happy. It could be anything from spending time with family, reading a good book or listening to your favourite song. 

No matter the activity, I want you to embrace it fully because this kind of happiness can never be replaced.

What Does Happiness Look Like and Feel Like?

How do we define happiness for ourselves and others? How does it look to us, taste, feel and sound all at once? Is it a big-ticket item, a hearty slurp of hot soup in cold weather, the right song at exactly the right time, or is it something deeper than all of that?

The answers to these questions are embedded in our daily routines. They call to us from the world around us, and they can be heard in the voices that surround us. Happy songs can make us feel happy and sad songs can do the same. 

The conversations we have, the food we eat, the faces we see and the time that we spend can all contribute to what happiness means to each of us.

Some people are habitually happy, and others can be happy amid pain and suffering, perhaps even more so than happier people.

Everyone is searching for happiness. Yet, we cannot find happiness here or there. We are trying to find happiness in people and things, but it is never enough.

What if we knew a secret that could make us happy unconditionally? Would you like to know it?

Everyone breathes through the nose. Can you see a pattern in that? The brain needs oxygen to operate properly, and fresh air is the best way to get what you need.

When you think about it, breathing is a way for us to connect with our unconscious minds. 

Every time you inhale, say a positive affirmation like “I am happy”, “I love my life”, or “Everything is working out for my highest good”.

A new study published in the Journal of Happiness Studies shows that our happiness level depends on the number of positive memories we have.

The study examined 91 people over the course of three weeks to see if they could remember a positive event from their past that occurred each day: some people couldn’t remember any positive memories, while others could easily recall six or more. 

The ones who could remember multiple positive memories were significantly happier than the ones who struggled to remember anything positive.

Ever notice when you’re happy, everyone around you is happy too? It’s a little like that with us. When we’re feeling good, it seems like everything goes right. Everything we touch turns to gold. 

The sun shines brighter, the birds sing sweeter, and we play better. It’s like “happiness” is a myth, except it’s not – because we’ve been there.

We can’t choose how long we live, but we can make the most out of each day 

and share our most memorable moments with loved ones to make sure that even when things get tough, at least we have a good memory from the day.

What Does the Saying Happiness is a Butterfly Mean?

When you are happy, you are like a butterfly. You can easily fly and be free. This saying implies that happiness is fragile, and touching or noticing it will cause it to fly away and perhaps never return.

Each and every one of us wants to be happy. Happiness is subjective. It’s different for everyone. Some people find happiness in their relationships. Some find it in their children. Some people find happiness in their careers. They are all valid forms of finding happiness.

When someone tells you they are happy, you know it’s true because a smile creeps up on their face like a butterfly.

I believe that no matter what it is people look for to find their happiness, the important thing to remember is that you’ve got to work at it. 

Happiness cannot be found without a search for it. I don’t care who you are or what you’ve done, and happiness is always worth the effort.

Why is Happiness So Important in Life? 

We are all impacted by how happy we are. We want to make people happy. Happiness has been linked with almost everything that matters – better health, stronger relationships, more successful businesses, more creative thinking, more engagement and better performance.

Drugs and alcohol are legal substances that are killing our youth and doing little to fill any of the above needs. We have a better alternative.

Highs & Lows wants people to be happier. We believe that happiness is the most important thing in life; without it, nothing else really matters.

For us, happiness seems like an obvious thing to pursue. But, really, why is it important?

I know what you’re thinking – you think that happiness is essential because if we’re not happy, then what’s the point of anything? You’re saying this because happiness is why most of us are here. 

We’re here on earth, living and breathing and being in the world at all because we believe that being here will bring us a lifetime of happiness.

I know, I know… it’s difficult to imagine that one could go through life this way.

But, look around you, and all you will see are human beings who were born with some degree of unhappiness. 

This means that even if your goal in life is to be happy and you’ve been working hard toward making this happen, you will still inevitably be confronted with a ton of unhappy people along the way. How’s that for motivation?

We just want to live a happy life. And that means learning how to be happy with ourselves first and foremost. 

We want to feel confident enough in our own company that we don’t have to be constantly around other people – we don’t have to be constantly around anyone – in order to feel good about ourselves. 

We want to feel comfortable in our own skin so much so that being alone and feeling lonely won’t bother us one bit.

Why is Happiness Subjective?

Ever wondered why you can be happy about something and your friend can’t? Why is happiness subjective?

Happiness is subjective because we all have different experiences. We take in and experience different things from the moment we are born. We have different upbringings, different pasts, different futures, and different interactions.

Happiness is subjective. No one can be happy for you or with you. The only person who can make you happy is you.

– Why is happiness subjective?

– Because it’s not a destination, it’s a journey.

– Because it’s a feeling.

– Because of what happiness means to you!

It’s as simple as that. But it doesn’t mean that there aren’t things we can do to make ourselves happier than we are now.

– Happiness has become the single most important aspect of people’s lives.

– Do you know why?

– Because it’s the only thing you can have power over in all aspects of your life.

– Your success and your ability to be successful; your finances and your ability to make more money; your relationships and your ability to strengthen them depend on how happy you are.

– So, happiness becomes the compass that points in the direction that takes you closer to living the life of your dreams.

Relationship Between Mental Health and Happiness 

As someone who’s struggled with mental health, I’ve seen a lot of the stigma surrounding it in my own life and the lives of my peers.

The effects of our society’s stigma toward mental health are most prevalent amongst middle schoolers. 

There’s something about that age that’s a window of opportunity. It’s when kids start to make decisions about the rest of their lives. It’s the age when kids start forming an understanding of self and identity.

Happiness is the core value most people associate with mental health. However, you can’t really have happiness without mental health because happiness relies on your ability to think clearly and make good decisions.

Can you learn how to be happy in life? Learning how to be happy in life can be very simple, just a matter of knowing how to do things right for yourself and the people around you. Happiness is your choice. Aside from being the greatest feeling to exist, happiness is also a way of life.