Happiness

Happy is showing joy or pleasure, or enjoying something. A fundamental feeling that is hard to define but that people desire to experience. Happiness is used in the context of mental or emotional states, including positive or pleasant emotions ranging from contentment to intense joy. It is also used in the context of life satisfaction, subjective well-being, eudaimonia, flourishing and well-being.

Thinking Positive - Laughing - Happy Music - Freedom to Pursue Happiness



Joy is the emotion of great happiness. To be glad or happy or to be a source of happiness.

Enjoyment is the pleasure felt when having a good time.

Excitement is the feeling of lively and cheerful joy. Emotionally aroused. Euphoria is an affective state in which a person experiences pleasure or excitement and intense feelings of well-being and happiness.

Zest is having vigorous and enthusiastic enjoyment. Never Bored.

Bliss is a state of extreme happiness or perfect happiness. To reach a state of great joy while being almost oblivious of everything else or experiencing blissful ignorance.

Ecstatic is a feeling great rapture or delight.

Rapture is a state of being carried away by overwhelming emotion. A state of elated bliss.

Delight is a feeling of extreme pleasure or satisfaction. Something or someone that provides a source of happiness. Give pleasure to or be pleasing to. Take delight in and make the most of. Hold spellbound.

Thrilled is a feeling intense pleasurable excitement. Cause to be thrilled by some perceptual input. Feel sudden intense sensation or emotion. Tremble convulsively, as from fear or excitement. Fill with sublime emotion.

Amused is a feeling of delight at being entertained. An activity that is diverting and that holds the attention.

Entertained is to be pleasantly occupied. An activity that is diverting and that holds the attention.

Euphoric is an exaggerated feeling of well-being or elation.

Enthusiasm is feeling or showing great excitement and interest. Overflowing with eager enjoyment or approval.

Raring is being very enthusiastic and eager to do something. Raring to go.

Exuberant is being joyously unrestrained.

Elated is being jubilantly proud and joyful or in high spirits. Full of high-spirited delight.

Eudaimonia is translated as happiness or welfare or human flourishing or prosperity and blessedness.

Cloud 9 is a state of bliss, elation or a feeling of extreme happiness or euphoria that makes you feel like you're floating on air.

"Release the inner chicken." "Turn that frown upside down." Feel the Wonder.

Life of the Party is someone who is very lively and amusing at a party or other social gathering. Someone who brings a lot of energy and enthusiasm to a social event, perhaps the main focus or source of enjoyment. A person who participates in entertainment events in a very enthusiastic manner and who has a leading role in inspiring others to join in the spirit of festivity. Someone who is energetic and funny and at the center of activity during social occasions.

Happiness is an emotion that feels good. Happiness usually occurs when your experiences and thoughts are enjoyable, and when things are going well and when you are healthy and rested. Happiness can also be felt when you're in love and when you are having good relationships with friends, coworkers and family. But there is no direct path to happiness, because happiness is a combination of many different influences. Happiness is a temporary state of mind and only one of many emotions that humans experience. And just being happy does not mean that everything is good or right, for happiness is only an emotion and not an accurate measurement of reality or awareness. The same goes for sadness, just because you're sad does not mean that something is wrong or that there is no hope, it could just mean that you're tired, stressed, malnourished or thinking about something sad. There is no accurate measurement of happiness, but you can count the things that make you happy. And just how that something makes you happy will still depend on your perception at that particular moment. Memories can also make you happy, but only when the memory is a good one and not connected to anything negative. A good nights sleep, healthy diet and plenty of exercise will always help increase your chances of experiencing happiness. People who are dying and near death can experience a moment of happiness, especially when they are given hope.

30 Amazing Feelings That You Can't Resist - Things that Feel Good (youtube)

Just because you feel no pain, this does not mean that you're happy. Not feeling pain can be dangerous.

You could enjoy every moment of every day, but of course, there are bad things that happen in the world every day. But it's how we react to bad things in life that makes all of the difference. If you witness something bad, of course you do everything that you can to correct what is bad. But not all problems that you witness can be immediately solved. This is why you need reassure yourself with knowing that you are doing as much as you can to see that this ignorance is not repeated in any way shape or form, and that you are actively looking for ways to correct this ignorance. Happiness is knowing that you are part of the solution and not part of the problem. Enjoy the fact that you are not just disturbed by ignorance, but you are actively solving this problem and not just emotionally reacting to this problem. Not to say that you are always going to be perfect, but you are doing as many things as perfectly as possible. That's when you can still find joy in some of life's most horrible moments. Like being a Doctor. A Doctor can't save every life, but that doesn't stop a Doctor or discourage a Doctor from saving other lives. Resilience is the root of all happiness, and adaption is joys best friend.

Sometimes you have to allow yourself to be happy and give yourself permission to feel happiness. Be happy without guilt or regret. Let yourself go.

Knowledge is natures best antidepressant and is the most effective placebo pill for happiness, so don't forget that knowledge is the best medicine. Did you take your knowledge pill today?

Serenity is being free from stress or emotion or having the absence of mental stress or anxiety.

Tranquility is being free from disturbances, stress or emotion. A state of peace and quiet.

Spiritual Awakening is a full body and mind experience that produces a heightened state of awareness. One that releases you from all fears and emotional restraints, while at the same time feeling more connected to life. A feeling like you are in heaven. A type of enlightenment that is just the beginning of an amazing journey, where you are finally discovering more about yourself and the world around you. Knowing and learning, instead of not knowing and yearning.

Eudaimonia is translated as happiness.

Mood is an emotional state. Moods differ from emotions, feelings, or affects in that they are less specific, less intense, and less likely to be triggered by a particular stimulus or event. Moods are typically described as having either a positive or negative valence. In other words, people usually speak of being in a good mood or a bad mood.

Enthusiasm is intense enjoyment, interest, or approval. Positive.

Optimism is a mental attitude defined as expecting the best possible outcome from any given situation. This is usually referred to in psychology as dispositional optimism. It thus reflects a belief that future conditions will work out for the best. Not the same as wishful thinking. Hope - Should You Pretend You're Happy? (youtube).

Epicurus on Happiness (youtube)

Sigh of Relief is when you feel happy that something unpleasant has not happened or is no longer happening.

Relief is a feeling of reassurance and relaxation following release from anxiety or distress. Assistance.

Wonderful is something extraordinarily good or great. Wonder - Inspiration.

Hunky-Dory is when things are satisfactory and pleasant.

Happiness is perceiving a moment in time to be pleasant, satisfying and hopeful. Happiness is a beautiful feeling and a wonderful human emotion that everyone should experience at least a few times a day. Happiness is good for you and should always be part of a well-balanced life. From my experience, the more you know about Yourself and the more you know about the world the better your chances will be to experience this temporary state of mind called happiness. Because when you keep learning you will find that some of the things that you learn are actually pretty funny. Take a moment everyday and pretend that everything is perfect in your life and in the world, and the joy that you feel inside is amazing. Smile on the inside. Valuing Time Over Money Is Associated With Greater Happiness. There is empirical evidence that prioritizing time over money is a stable preference related to greater subjective well-being.

Mood Scope - Mood Jam - Happy App

Social Emotional Learning - Not Happy or Sad

Is confidence a part of being Happy? Is sanity a part of being Happy? Is meditation a part of being Happy? Is humor a part of being Happy? Is behavior a part of being Happy? Does Happiness come from positive thinking? Can learning to release dopamine help?

Desires activate reward system and wishful thinking is rewarded. The reward system in the brain affects our judgments
our desires, and preferences influence our judgment without us consciously realizing it. The same brain systems that reinforce our efforts to maximize rewards such as food, also reinforce specific strategies for constructing judgments.

Smile is a facial expression formed primarily by flexing the muscles at the sides of the mouth. Some smiles include a contraction of the muscles at the corner of the eyes, an action known as a "Duchenne smile". Smiles performed without the eye contraction can be perceived as "fake".

Smiling Indians (youtube)

Frown is a facial expression in which the eyebrows are brought together, and the forehead is wrinkled, usually indicating displeasure, sadness or worry, or less often confusion or concentration. The appearance of a frown varies by culture.

Body Language - Body Image - The Power of  Human Touch

Some people base their happiness on assumptions and contradictions, which is not happiness, that's a delusion.

Do yourself a favor and say hello to yourself. Ask yourself "How have you been? Have you learned anything interesting lately?" Yourself should answer something like this, "I have been good, thanks or asking. I have been busy lately and I have also been doing a lot of thinking, so I kind of lost touch with you, but I'm back now. So let me give you a brief overview of some of the things that were going on in our life in the last few days. The first thing is, I miss you and I'm sorry I lost touch. The second thing is, we have learned some crazy shit lately, so hold on to your hat."

Laughter Therapy

Therapeutic Laughter or Laughter Therapy aims to get people laughing in both group and individual sessions and can help reduce stress, make people and employees happier and more committed, as well as improve their interpersonal skills. Laughing is an excellent way to reduce stress in our lives, and can help you to cope with and survive a stressful lifestyle. Laughter provides a full-scale workout for your muscles and unleashes a rush of stress-busting endorphins. Since our bodies cannot distinguish between real and fake laughter, anything that makes you giggle will have a positive impact. You do not need to be happy or have a sense of humor to benefit from a good laugh.

Laughter Yoga (wiki) - Website

Laughing Club India

There are two types of laughter: Fake and Genuine. But endorphins don't care if laughter is fake or real, a laugh is a laugh most of the time. Why does smiling make us happy? 

Vorfreude is joyful anticipation.

Mental Makeover Episode 2. Meditations, Marcus Aurelius (youtube)

Gross National Happiness is a measurement of the collective happiness in a nation. Bhutan.

“Laughter doesn’t change the facts; it changes how you relate to those facts.”

Why Do We Laugh? (humor) - Inspiration - Logical Reasoning.

Happy Quotes about Happiness

"Is it better to be unhappy then to be happy for the wrong reasons?"

"Life is 10% of what happens to you and 90% of how you react to it."

"Only look back to learn."

"To free yourself from the irrelevant, is true happiness..so what's relevant?"

"I want to be happy and totally aware at the same time."

"The key to a happy life is being prepared, it's having enough knowledge and skills to navigate through life's difficulties."

"When one door of happiness closes, another opens, but often we look so long at the closed door that we do not see the one that has been opened for us." - Helen Keller.

"Remember that not getting what you want is sometimes a wonderful stroke of luck." - Dalai Lama.

"A happy man is too satisfied with the present to dwell too much on the future." (Albert Einstein)

"There are some things more important — and more unimaginable — than being happy."

"Happiness is not determined by what’s happening around you, but rather what’s happening inside you. Most people depend on others to gain happiness, but the truth is, it always comes from within."

Life Quotes

Not getting what you want is a good thing as long as you have everything that you need. But knowing what you need is a process of learning, because your needs change. So you have to learn what your needs are, and understand why your needs might be changing. If not, then your needs may not be met when you need them. And that means you may have to adapt to new circumstances that you helped create, because you did not learn what was necessary in order to prepare yourself. Learning will give you all the power that you need, but if you stop learning, you will never be able to utilize that power. You know that feeling that you get when you're looking forward to something that you know you're really going to enjoy, and you're anticipating that wonderful moment happening in the future? That's a kind of happiness that you can have anytime. And if you're doing what's necessary to have that dream become a reality, then you should always be happy. This is why having meaningful Goals can be a constant source of happiness, whether those goals are a benefit to you, or to other people. It seems that our Memory is one of the most important factors in maintaining our happiness. Happiness is Learning the right things at the right time, and remembering all that is relevant and important. "Things turn out best for people who make the best out of the way things turn out."

The Happiest people don't necessarily have the best of everything; The happiest people are the ones who make the most of everything, making the most of what they have. Happy people are more focused on quality then they are quantity. Happy people know that a simplified life is a lot less stressful and a lot more meaningful then a life filled with material things that are of little or no value, thus eventually causing more suffering then pleasure.

Happy Songs

Bobby McFerrin - Don't Worry Be Happy (youtube)
Pharrell Williams - Happy (youtube) 
24 Hours of Happy
Revolution of the Mind - James Brown - I Feel Good (youtube)
More Happy Songs

Music in a major key is judged as happy while minor key music is heard as sad. Sad keys are A and D minor and the happiest key is F. and the happiest note is B. Descending melodies seem sad and ascending melodies seem happier.

Boredom

Boredom is a perceived feeling of being disinterested in one's surroundings, feeling like you have nothing to do, or feeling that life is dull. Boredom is when an individual is left without anything in particular to do, or is not interested in their surroundings, or feels that a day or period is dull or tedious.

Boredom is a by-product of forgetfulness. You either forgot what you are doing or you're unaware of your options or not confident in your capabilities. How can you be bored when the world is full of millions of different things that a person can do, you could never do all of them even if you tried. To say that you did it all is a lie, because it's impossible to do it all. That's why it's important to have a list of things to do, and also, have a list of things that you would like to do in the future, like a bucket list. It's a good idea to always have goals. Short term goals, and long term goals. So the only way that boredom could ever happen is when you forget, you forget the list, you forget your goals, you forget the importance of your life, and you forget the unlimited potential of your life. You forgot all the things that you can learn. You forgot your abilities. Is boredom just another fake ailment? Or is it desensitization?

Monotony is the perception of having the lack of variety and interest. Tedious repetition and routine. Sameness of pitch or tone in a sound or utterance. A situation in which something stays the same and is therefore boring. I don't feel like it.

Just Hanging Around is when you are in a place for no particular purpose or reason. Not wanting to do anything in particular. Taking a break physically and mentally.

Empty Nest Syndrome is more like Empty Head Syndrome where you forget that you have a brain and a life.

Introvert - Space Travel - Solitary Confinement

I'm Logically Happy. I know that I cannot control everything in my life or control everything in other people’s lives. Rationality

I try to control as many things that I can and always strive to maintain Balance and Symmetry. I'm mostly Happy because being Sad and worrying is illogical and offers no benefit to me or anyone else. Plus being happier is healthier then being sad because you have less Stress. So being happy is just logical and it makes sense as long as my feelings of sadness are not related to Chemical or Physical Imbalances influenced by bad diet or environment. Plus being happy is also much more enjoyable then being Sad, Depressed or Insecure, but you have to understand the causes in order to make changes. And it's definitely more then just Optimism or positive thinking, feeling happy and hopeful just feels better. Sadness is hardly ever helpful in any situation. But I wouldn't want to do away with sadness because Sadness surely makes you appreciate happiness a whole lot more. I do more when I'm happy, whether that's good or bad, because it all boils down to how you use your time, whether you're happy or sad.

Simplify (simple life)

"This is not a sad world, there are just things in this world that can make you sad." Mad World (youtube)

Gratitude is a feeling of thankfulness and appreciation.

Appreciation is understanding of the nature or meaning or quality or magnitude of something. The recognition and enjoyment of the good qualities of someone or something.

You should never be the cause of your own suffering. Self-harm is more then just skin deep.

Ananda means "joy, bliss, delight"

Anandamide is a fatty acid neurotransmitter derived from the non-oxidative metabolism of eicosatetraenoic acid (arachidonic acid) an essential ω-6 polyunsaturated fatty acid.

Endocannabinoid System is a group of endogenous cannabinoid receptors located in the mammalian brain and throughout the central and peripheral nervous systems, consisting of neuromodulatory lipids and their receptors. Known as "the body’s own cannabinoid system", the ECS is involved in a variety of physiological processes including appetite, pain-sensation, mood, and memory, and in mediating the psychoactive effects of Cannabis.

Weather Affects Mood

Why do I feel better during a High Barometric Pressure or High Pressure System?

Visceral is having to do with the response of the body as opposed to the intellect, as in the distinction between feeling and thinking. Obtained through intuition rather than from reasoning or observation. Internal organs collectively.

Weather Pains is a phenomenon that occurs when people with conditions such as arthritis claim to feel pain, particularly with changes in barometric pressure, humidity or other weather phenomena.

Weather on Health

Major Depression With Seasonal Variation, Is It a Valid Construct?

Tools for Monitoring the Weather

Seasonal Affective Disorder or SAD, is a mood disorder subset in which people who have normal mental health throughout most of the year experience depressive symptoms at the same time each year, most commonly in the winter. Also known as winter depression, winter blues, summer depression or seasonal depression. Sufferers may exhibit any of the associated symptoms, such as feelings of hopelessness and worthlessness, thoughts of suicide, loss of interest in activities, withdrawal from social interaction, sleep and appetite problems, difficulty with concentration and decisions, decreased sex drive, a lack of energy, or agitation. Symptoms of winter SAD often include oversleeping or difficulty waking up in the morning, nausea, and a tendency to over eat, often with a craving for carbohydrates, which leads to weight gain. SAD is typically associated with winter depression, but springtime lethargy or other seasonal mood patterns are not uncommon. Although each individual case is different, in contrast to winter SAD, people who experience spring and summer depression may be more likely to show symptoms such as insomnia, decreased appetite and weight loss, and agitation or anxiety.

Light Affects Mood and Learning through Distinct Retina-Brain Pathways. ipRGCs that project to the suprachiasmatic nucleus (SCN) mediate the effects of light on learning, independently of the SCN’s pacemaker function. Eyes and Light.

Luxotonic signals in human frontal-polar cortex: A possible substrate for effects of light on mood.

Seasonal variation in daylight influences brain function. A research group has studied how seasons influence the function of the brain. Researchers showed that the length of daylight affects the opioid receptors, which in turn regulates the mood we experience.

Climatotherapy refers to temporary or permanent relocation of a patient to a region with a climate more favourable to recovery from or management of a condition. Examples include: The partial pressure of oxygen is lower at high altitude, so person with sickle cell disease might move to a lower altitude to reduce the number of sickle crises. Several sites around the world are advertised or studied as possibly of therapeutic benefit to patients with psoriasis, most notably the Dead Sea region.

Hot Weather Effects - Body influences the Mind

On days you feel good, write down the details of the weather. On days you feel bad, also write down the details of the weather and then see if there are any trends in any of the weather related factors that you wrote down, like the ones below. (June 6th, 2016).

I Felt Good During this Day - Temperature: High 85.6 °F, Low 63.3 °F, Average 72.6 °F. - Wind WSW 8 mph. - Humidity 80%. - Dew Point 60° - Pressure 29.67 in (going up). - Visibility 9.0 mi. - UV Index - 1 of 10.

Depression is more than just being sad.

That Feeling in Your Bones. Link between achy joints and rainy weather in a flood of data comes up dry.

Gut Feeling

Changes in prebiotic gut bacteria levels could have an effect on depression and anxiety. Probiotics may ease Anxiety and Depression. Gut bacteria may affect levels of the stress hormone cortisol. Gut bacteria may also have an affect on the vagus nerve, which conveys sensory information from the gut to the brain. Gut bacteria may also affect the immune system, which
could, in turn, influence the brain.  (Gut and Psychology Syndrome)

Body affects the Mind and the Mind affects the Body - More than a Feeling

Serotonin is a neurotransmitter. 90% of the human body's total serotonin is located in the enterochromaffin cells in
the Human Gastrointestinal Tract.

5-HT Receptor are a group of G protein-coupled receptor and ligand-gated ion channels found in the central and peripheral nervous systems. They mediate both excitatory and inhibitory neurotransmission. The serotonin receptors are activated by the neurotransmitter serotonin, which acts as their natural ligand.

Micro-Organisms in our gut secrete a profound number of chemicals, chemicals that are the same substances used by our neurons to communicate and regulate mood, like dopamine, serotonin and gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA).certain bacteria were more likely to be associated with depressive patients.

Beyond our Normal Senses

Psychoneuroimmunology is the interactions between the nervous and immune systems and the relationships between mental processes and health.

It's all about Increasing your Odds for Happiness

"There are many things in my life that I am not totally in control of. Even though I am getting better at controlling things in my life, I am still not in control of everything. I prioritize, but I have to learn how not to ignore things that still may be important. So I have to learn how to spend some more time on the lower priorities in my life, because they still may have significance. How many things do I need to be in control of in my life in order to feel that I am in control of my life? Without turning into a control freak or becoming a perfectionist."

Every human being has difficulties, but not every human being has the same difficulties or reacts the same way to difficulties.

Fear, excitement, arousal, anticipation. Emotions and feelings are Humans natural stimulators, part early warning system and part joyride. Understanding the different emotions is just as important as knowing where the on and off switch is so that you can control the amount of emotions and keep from being overly emotional. Emotions and feelings should never guide your decision making. Emotions and feelings should only make you aware that you are an incredible and complex machine that needs proper maintenance and proper monitoring. - (Howard Polley)

Refraining from, burying or suppressing emotions is an indication that there is vital information and knowledge missing that is needed to help a person to understand their feelings. People are afraid to express certain feelings when they are not sure what they mean or how they will be Perceived.

Pessimism and Optimism



A computational and neural model of momentary subjective well-being
Logical Reasoning - Intelligence Formula

"Happiness is not determined by what’s happening around you, but rather what’s happening inside you. Most people depend on others to gain happiness, but the truth is, it always comes from within." Patience

Things that can make you happy, but not necessarily create Happiness. Playing a game, playing with children, exercise for 5 minutes, helping someone, learn something new, teach yourself a new skill, spend time in nature, smell something pleasing like flowers or fruit, learn something about a plant, insect or animal, watch the sunset or sunrise, spend time with a pet, travel, be intimate with someone, dress up in different clothes or change your hairstyle, read something inspirational, watch a movie that is inspirational, laugh or smile, sing, listen to music, meditate, dream and explore new ideas, create a new tool or something interesting, call an old friend, dance, take a nap, clean something, organize something, set a new goal or work on existing goals, write a letter, prepare a healthy meal, bake a pie or cookies, educate someone, and so on and so on...Searching for Meaning.

Having purpose and meaning in life increases overall well-being and life satisfaction, improves mental and physical health, enhances resiliency, enhances self-esteem, and decreases the chances of depression. On top of that, the single-minded pursuit of happiness is ironically leaving people less happy. What sets human beings apart from animals is not the pursuit of happiness, which occurs all across the natural world, but the pursuit of meaning, which is unique to humans.

Roy Baumeister is a social psychologist who is known for his work on the self, social rejection, belongingness, sexuality and sex differences, self-control, self-esteem, self-defeating behaviors, motivation, aggression, consciousness, and free will.

Morals - Addictions - Limbic System

Depression - Trauma - Stress

Self Smart - People Smart - Self-Help Books

Baby Oliver Shows Every Emotion (youtube)

"Knowing a lot of people is good, but knowing a few people who know a lot is even better"

Satisfaction is the fulfillment of one's wishes, expectations, or needs, or the pleasure derived from this: Gratified, having received what was desired. The contentment one feels when one has fulfilled a desire, need, or expectation. Act of fulfilling a desire or need or appetite.

Knowledge is Happiness, Learning is Happiness. Happiness is complex, but the more you understand what happiness is, the more you will experience happiness. If learning makes you happy you will always be happy as long as you keep learning. But Knowledge and Information buy itself will not guarantee happiness. Knowledge and Information will only make you more aware of what happiness is. And the more you know the more possibilities and potential you will be aware of. Listen to as many people as possible for a great portion of our Knowledge comes from each other and from the millions of experiences that we all share. But please keep in mind that when you are relying on other people for knowledge and information, that the knowledge of other people will only be affective and reliable when those other people are actually learning new knowledge and acquiring new information. So the more people you know who are always learning will definitely increase your chances of acquiring reliable and accurate information and knowledge.

Happiness during the Holidays

More happiness was reported when family and religious experiences were more prominent, and lower well-being occurred when spending money and receiving gifts was more prominent. Engaging in environmentally conscious consumption practices also predicted a happier holiday, as did being older and male. In sum, the materialistic aspects of modern Christmas celebrations may undermine well-being, while family and spiritual activities may help people to feel more satisfied.

What Makes for a Merry Christmas?

Constraints on the use of money as a gift at Christmas: The role of status and intimacy. A gift must be capable of carrying meaningful information concerning the level of intimacy and the relative status existing between donor and recipient. In contrast, money was found to lack the necessary attributes for conveying information concerning intimacy, but also to possess attributes that may transmit inappropriate messages relating to status.

Inferences about Homeowners' Sociability: Impact of Christmas decorations and other cues residents may use holiday decorations on their home's exterior to communicate friendliness and cohesiveness with neighbors.

Would you gain more happiness from buying a material good then you would from having an experience? Depends on the material object and the type of experience that you have. Some material goods can provide long lasting happiness, especially when the product can be used to benefit your life. Like having a new bicycle, which gives you many opportunities to travel and exercise, while reducing pollution and other negative impacts. Or an experience that provides you with more then a great memory, but also provides you with lessons learned and knowledge gained from the experience, which you can now share with others, bringing even more happiness to people who have not yet experienced what you have. Experience can be a gift that keeps on giving. So can a material object, especially an object that can be shared and enjoyed for many years.