Happiness comes in all shapes and sizes. It is a relative concept that varies from person to person with no two people having the same true definition as to what makes them the happiest.
For some, it’s a quiet evening with friends and family. For others, it’s a full day of shopping in the heart of a bustling city. This is why you might prefer spaghetti as your favorite meal but your BFF loves chicken tenders with all her heart. Happiness is dependent upon personal preference, on what YOU chose to love. It is not strict black or white parameters that decide what make you happy; it is just, quite simply, you.
To further expand upon this idea of happiness as a relative emotion, I asked 10 students from Butler University what makes them feel their best-- the happiest they can be. Here is what they had to say.
Student One
“I would have to say Pay Day makes me the happiest. There’s nothing like working hard for two weeks and seeing my checking account go up that Friday afternoon. It’s the best!”
Student Two
“When my friends are happy. I’d rather the people I love have a fantastic day and me a mediocre one than vice versa. Yeah, that makes me happy.”
Student Three
“I like it when it’s raining and I get to stay in my bed, drinking coffee and watching Netflix. Maybe it’s shallow to say I like my alone time, but it really is when I feel the most comfortable with myself and the world around me.”
Student Four
“Dogs make me happy. And little kids. They’re so in love with life and are so excited about anything and everything. Sometimes I wish I could be more like them, but it changes when you get older. The world is a much scarier place now.”
Student Five
“I LOVE flowers! I don’t need them to be delivered to me by anyone special and I don't really even buy them for myself that much. I just love when flowers start to bloom in the spring and the world is so colorful. Flowers definitely make me happy.”
Student Six
“I think sunsets make me the happiest. I’m from a rural place in Ohio so every summer night, my friends and I would cruise through fields, listening to our favorite songs. I remember these moments and how they made me feel so ridiculously happy. It was so fun, and I really miss it.”
Student Seven
“My boyfriend. Just knowing someone loves me unconditionally, no matter what I look like or say or do. He makes all my troubles fall away. I love him so much; he makes me happy.”
Student Eight
“When I win a game. I love the feeling me and my brothers get after a hard-fought win on the field. That’s really when I’m happiest.”
Student Nine
“Cooking makes me sooo happy! Food just really brings people together, and I really like having all my loved ones under one roof.”
Student Ten
“Sunday Mornings. Most people in college have bad cases of the “Sunday Scaries,” but nothing makes me happier than waking up at 10 with the sun breaking through my curtains and making breakfast in my pj’s. Everything is just so calm and peaceful after a long weekend. I love it.”
Each one of these students had a different response to the same question. This proves that anything can make anyone feel any certain way, but that doesn’t mean the next person has to have those same, exact emotions towards the same notions.
We look for happiness in every corner of this world. Sometimes it’s the little things like rainy days or Sunday mornings. Sometimes we find happiness in people; sometimes money makes us feel the best. The beautiful thing about happiness is that it’s never right or wrong; you get to decide what makes YOU the happiest, and that might be the most promising idea we, as humans, will ever have.
