Everyday Canvas

Happiness

Prompt: "Happiness often sneaks through the door you didn't know you left open."
John Barrymore
Write about this quote in your Blog entry today.

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This is such a smart but tricky quote. Happiness? Isn't it a subjective experience! Don't you think so? I mean what brings joy and good feelings to one person may differ for another. Plus, happiness is never a constant state, as it fluctuates and changes.

As such, happiness is elusive and unpredictable. The image in the quote--happiness sneaking through an unnoticed door-- suggests that it often enters our lives unexpectedly and without warning, the door one didn't even realize was left open. Does that mean unexpected sources or moments?

Maybe.

I guess the quote encourages a mindset of openness and awareness and this has to do with being receptive to people and experiences. It may also be true that happiness is not found through deliberate and planned effort, as by its very nature, happiness is a spontaneous thing.

This made me think about what could encourage happiness. If happiness is a sense of well-being and contentment, then it is related to positive emotions and general satisfaction with life, involving health, work, relationships, and achievements. Yet, for some, it is momentary joy through pleasant surprises and social connections and companionships. Still, for others, it has to do with the mindfulness of the present moment and appreciating simple everyday things and pleasures. On the other hand, for those who have physical health issues it might be a burst of wellness and for the altruistic ones it might come as willingness and being able to help others.

Come to think of it, happiness is really a very subjective, very personal thing, and I don't even know where my own path to happiness lies. I guess it is a bit of everything which fluctuates and evolves. As to the doors in my life, I have no idea which one(s) I left open.



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