Some people believe that happiness is fleeting.  I, however, do not. In some ways I am kind of like Charlotte from Sex and the City in that I am happy every day- maybe not all day every day, but every day.  The problem with happiness I am realizing is that it is all about perception.  I can express displeasure over some real shit going on in my life or over a circumstance, and ultimately someone looking from the outside in will tell me to be happy.  How do you become happy when you already are?

I believe that I am always happy because I am blessed, and I feel so fortunate and grateful with my life and everything and person in it (for the most part, lol).  I have a roof over my head, I am keeping up with bills and expenses for the first time in my adult life, I can afford to eat well, and I have clothes on my back and a way to get around.  With all of this I am theoretically happy. I may be down or get bummed when I consider all that I want for myself, but i am still happy.

Happy is waking up after a nice power nap (or super power nap).  Happy is indulging in a nice hot shower after a long day and before climbing into clean sheets.  Happy is seeing the pleasure a loved one displays when they savor some bomb food that you have cooked for them.  This is happy. These are happy things.

As opposed to assuming that someone is unhappy when they vent to us or complain about something, how about we change our behavior and mindset?  Why don’t we just let them have their moment and simply listen?  Why not be grateful- be happy -that they trust us enough to feel compelled to share their struggles with us?  Once we change our perception of what happy is and what it looks like, then maybe we can all be happy- not all day every day, but every day.