Happiness. We all talk about it. We all experience it. We all feel it.
I can't help but always be curious about others. How often are people happy? How high are peoples expectations to what makes them happy? Am I the only one who's mood always fluctuates? Is it the little things or is it the materialistic things? Can we all vastly relate?
We all have our own perspectives on happiness and I believe it's such an amazing tool to be able to share our perspectives with others because we can relate and we can expand our minds.
We can get an input in someone else's life in the slightest way possible just by how they answer certain questions. We can get a sense of their underlying desires, the reliance on either themselves/others, and the way they view happiness. It is very interesting.
I put together an anonymous 4-question survey from SurveyMonkey.com with the following questions below. With a compilation of over 40 responses, here are different perspectives and thoughts on the concept: Happiness.
(Quite frankly, I've also experienced first hand that just by reading these responses, you will feel happiness inside of you. It is contagious and you will feel good. Your mind will take you back to relatable times and you will open your mind to things you never thought about before.)
Q: What's the first thing that comes to your mind when you think about happiness?
A: Finding someone who loves you, Being open, Sunflower field, How long will it last?, Nature, Sad that someone in the world right now might not be happy, Animals, Warm yellow sunshine, Comfort, All the places I've been to, Laughing and serenity, Good ratio of chillin' and priorities, Being held in the sunshine, My future adventures, Contentment, The people I love most in my life and why I love them, Hiking in the Alpines with the love of my life, The thought of my friends, It's very cliche but my lover, Being around people who love you for who you are, Making art, Feeling love and respect for myself, Green grass.
Q: What makes you happy?
A: Being wanted, Movement and progress, Sitting on the beach in the moonlight, Watching the stars, Drinking water that isn't too cold, Strong unique relationships with people who add positivity to my life, Getting what I want (sad to admit that), Being at peace with myself, The smell of fresh air, When I see the moon, People not being assholes, A delicious healthy meal, Someone acknowledging me and letting me know that I am appreciated and loved no matter what mistakes I have made, Seeing people I love happy, That I never jumped off that bridge, Confidence, Immersing in nature, A good cup of tea, Classic cinema, My future playing out how I plan, Seeing someone else happy because of something I said or have done.
Q: What body sensations do you feel when you are happy?
A: Tingle in my heart with a warmness in my chest, Horny, Warm vibrating energy, Stimulated energetically, Urge to talk, My cheeks feel tight and my lungs feel warm, Heart pounding, Tons of butterflies!, Fuzzy like a peach, Tingles and floating, Head rush, I feel almost weightless like nothing can bring me down from that high and I have to really concentrate to keep from smiling too much it's just an uncontrollable reaction, Oneness, A fluttery feeling in my chest, The world moves in slow motion a little like I'm drunk, High off adrenaline, A sudden awareness of the air in my lungs, Final release of tension pain in temples, Goosebumps.
Q: How often do you experience this happiness?
A: Couple times a week, Not very often but I'm trying to make changes in my life to feel it again, Every single day luckily, Sometimes but not as often, Whenever I see something that reminds me of a good memory or if I'm with friends and we're laughing so hard our stomaches ache and there are tears streaming down our cheeks, All the time! Every time I smile at a friend see the moon and smell something sweet, Not as much as I would like, Whenever I want to.. if I want to, Rarely, When day dreaming or falling asleep, It's been more rare recently because of my struggles with anxiety disorder and depression, Every so often but it's not something that comes around a lot so it's extra great when it does.
Special thanks to everyone who anonymously took my survey.