What is Happiness?

What is Happiness?

I’d like to ask this question. Every one of you. What is Happiness? Everyone has a different answer. Is it that you have a lot of things, that you have many friends, or that you live a meaningful life? There must be a hundred answers for a hundred people. However, I’d like to say this clearly. No matter how many things or friends you might have, or how meaningful your life might be, I wouldn’t call it happiness unless your heart is really satisfied.

Here is a story to tell you as an example. There was a man who created one of the most popular games in the world. He first created the game by and for himself. It was not played by many people. He enjoyed creating and found pleasure in communicating with a small number of people who liked his game.

Before long, the game became a great hit. He established a company to sell it. Eventually, his company became larger and larger and started to get out of his hand. After a while, he decided to step down from the development of the game, but he did not resign. The company needed him as a symbol, which he did not want to be. One day the internet exploded with hate against him over something he had nothing to do with.

At last, he decided to sell his company to a major company and resigned. His game was such a mega-hit to be sold one hundred million copies in total all over the world. He did not want that reputation for building the game at all. When he sold the company, he even received two billion dollars in cash. Then he said: It’s not about the money. It’s about my sanity. I’m not an entrepreneur. I’m not a CEO. I’m just a person.

As you learn from this, you are not necessarily happy even when you become famous and have a lot of money. What mattered to him at that time was creating small games which he loved. I agree with him there.

Then what is happiness? The answer is very simple. If you truly think you are happy, then you are happy. That has nothing to do with the amount of money you have or how famous you are. Even when you don’t have either of them, you can be happy. You might wonder why I took this long to talk about such a thing. I am afraid it is very hard to realize it.

As for myself, I struggled for a long time trying to be happy. At first, I bought myself some stuff so that I would feel happy. I got satisfied somehow, but the sensation faded away over time.

Next, I played various games. I thought I would become happy if there was something that I got excited and enthusiastic about. It fed me to some extent and boredom disappeared. Still, I could not tell that I was happy.

At last, I found out that my happiness was the ultimate sleep and rest. I was very tired then after all.

Now, how can we be happy? What should we do to be happy? First, think of the time when you had fun. There can be many situations. Everyone has different preferences. As junior high students, of course, we should not forget studying. When you have done what you should do, why don’t you find out what makes you happy? I often hear people say “I want to be happy." Happiness exists within yourself. Let’s find it!

(595 words)