A happy challenge

Today is International Happiness Day, so I thought I’d talk about happiness; my happiness, your happiness, and the world’s happiness in general.

The day was “invented” by the United Nations to recognise “the relevance of happiness and well-being as universal goals and aspirations in the lives of human beings around the world…” and aims to bring attention to the fact that, whilst the pursuit of happiness is a core human endeavour, “basic material well-being is still elusive for far too many living in extreme poverty“.

Unfortunately, I am not in a position to make an immediate impact on the lives and happiness of those in the greatest need of support, but I thought that talking about happiness from where I am might play a small role in helping others. Maybe it will inspire someone to do something that then inspires someone else and so on until the right person is inspired to bring about worldwide happiness. (You never know, it could happen.)

But I am in a position to talk about happiness from my viewpoint. So, here goes!

In the Western world, where even the poorest of our society live in the lap of relative luxury, happiness (or the pursuit of it) isn’t thought of as one’s ability to find clean water or safe food – those things are almost taken for granted – rather happiness is measured by income, possessions, and (I hope!) family and friends. We measure our happiness by things that are far removed from the bare-bones basics that people in other cultures aren’t lucky enough to have.

Yet, still, we complain. (Yes, we. I am guilty of this, too.)

Personally, I can’t count the number of times I’ve complained that there’s no food in the house or that I don’t have anything to wear. When, in reality, I just don’t want that food and I just don’t want to wear that dress. But I’ve also lost count of the number of times I’ve sulked about not having friends, about being lonely, about not having enough money for the latest-and-greatest gadget.

And I guess that you’ve made similar complaints. (Come on, I’ve confessed to it; so can you!)

Now, regular Just Frances readers may know that I’ve struggled with happiness since the death of my husband, but they’ll also know that I’ve tried to find joy in everyday things, that I’ve worked to live The Desiderata, and that I’ve set the ultimate goal to be blissfully happy. It’s hard to be happy some days because feeling sorry for myself seems to come so naturally right now, but I am constantly reminded of my blessings in life, which help me to remember to be happy.

Regular readers will also know that I like to set challenges for others. So my challenge to you is to think about what makes you happy (here’s some inspiration), and then tell me about it in the comments below. You can write as much or as little as you want; just spread the joy! (And bonus points to anyone who shares this post, and the challenge, with others, or for anyone who posts about happiness on their own blog or social networking site.)

Now, go forth and be happy!