I’ll admit I wasn’t too sure what to write about today, but since I resolved to update my blog at least once every weekend, I told myself I would just start writing and hope that something coherent (and if I was lucky, interesting) would come out of it.

And then I remembered this discussion we had last week in my English class about happiness, and it got me thinking.

Here’s what the dictionary has to say about happiness: the quality or state of being happy.

And since that’s not exceedingly helpful, here’s how it defines happy:

characterized by or indicative of pleasure, contentment, or joy: a happy mood; a happy frame of mind.

But what does that even mean? And – and how can you take something so beautiful, so thrilling, and put such a boring label on it?

You know that feeling you get after doing something nice for someone and watching that person smile?

The feeling of waking up in the morning, yawning and rubbing your eyes and feeling like crap, and then finding out it’s a snow day?

Clicking “print” after spending hours and hours on an essay?

Crossing something off on a list of things to do?

And (although this is probably just me) making tea at 3:27 pm?

Okay, well that’s happiness. It’s not some dictionary definition, and it’s certainly not a goal you’re trying to reach.

If you have a goal, a dream, a passion, there is no reason you can’t aim for it and be happy at the same time.

I agree that surrounding yourself with positivity is important, and motivational speakers are great, and yes, you can choose what you want your outlook on life to be – whether you want to dwell on the positive or negative – and it’s true that you don’t ever have to compromise your happiness.

But in the end, happiness is something that fills your heart, that isn’t artificial, and that can’t be measured or defined.

You can tell me about dopamine levels and all that, and the whole scientific side of it. I don’t care. I’d still like to think it’s something more. So here’s to happiness: the simplest, most complicated, and most beautiful feeling in the world.

Wishing you all a happy day… er, week… ah! Life! A happy life to all.