​What happiness means to me

Happiness to me comes in many different forms and feels almost impossible to tie down into words. For a long time, I thought that happiness could only come in the form of accomplishments and dreams that were far-removed from my current reality. This left me in a position where I could never be satisfied with life, as I was ignoring all the small beauties of the world around me, while chasing the castle in the sky that would one day cure my problems and make me happy. I now know that for me at least happiness comes not only from accomplishments but from life itself, happiness comes from the bright colours of the city, or the sun setting, staining the sky. It comes from the sound of dua lipa playing while I do the dishes or the excitement in my dad’s voice when the fog in his mind clears and he can see colours brightly again. Happiness for me comes with a wave of warmth in my chest and face like my heart is about to be pushed out of my chest. Happiness comes from the overwhelming sense of home that I get when I smell hamburger helper, because my mom used to cook it whenever she got home from work late. It’s the warm beat of the sun surrounding you on your first step outside the apartment for the second day in a row. Happiness is not out of reach. I just needed the eyes to see it. From my limited understanding of the subject, I’d say that persistent happiness doesn’t just come from one change or one goal in your life reached, it comes from a radical appreciation and acceptance towards both yourself and the world around you.