Quest for Happiness

What characterizes the state of happiness?
'Happiness is a mindset that reflects your perception of life at that given moment. Basically, if things are going the way that you want them to your mood will zoom up with a burst of positive emotional energy which feels breathtakingly happy. However, since this is a very fluid state, when things begin to change, (and they will), you might feel as if the air is being sucked out of your lungs when circumstances don't go the way you had planned which could lead you to spiral down into a much darker mood of being terribly unhappy.'

Is there such a thing as a happiness set point?
Most of us have a natural tendency in our personality toward being more positive or negative, however I believe that it goes deeper than that. Your life experiences have shaped your mindset about certain events or people, whether you realized it or not. As such, your 'set point' will be pretty predictable through life. Some people never seem to have enough positive to make up for their 'half-empty' view of life; while others seem to be content with just about anything that happens to them. Different people have different expectations of what a relationship should be, which further complicates the base level mindset about what should be happening in my life at a given moment. No wonder it's so hard to stay happy, it's always moving around, sort of like trying to nail Jell-O to the wall!'.

If so, can you be only so happy?
'There is no middle ground with happiness, you either feel it-or you don't. This may be why the founding fathers of America called this process 'the pursuit of happiness.' They knew that it was hard to catch, but that every American had the right to take a shot to go on a journey to find greater happiness and meaning in their lives.'

Are there ways that we can live more joyful, happy lives?
'Ahh, you said the magic word, joy! Basically happiness is tied into what is happening to us at the time, as based on external events or circumstances; while joy is an inside emotion that is based on a perception of multiple factors emotionally, spiritually and relationally. It is quite possible to be feeling a sense of joy internally, while having to manage cancer, divorce or a special needs child in-between all the other responsibilities that we all have to face and deal with every day. Taking an honest look at your expectations of how you perceive life 'should' be is a huge first step toward eliminating the false hope or resentment from what you feel you have missed out on, to focus on the blessings that you have been given. Counting blessings instead of problems is a great motivator to continue to build strength and success into your life every day.'