Things I need to be happy, part 1
I have been thinking on, and refining this topic for quite some time now. Happiness has always been a topic that intrigues me. Most of what follows is my own personal theory, some I’ve tested and some I haven’t. I think the overall ideas may apply to a larger sample of the population but again this is just theory.
When I think of happiness I tend to think of it as a state of being rather than a fleeting feeling. It is possible to have a moment of happiness in an otherwise depressing day. I am not talking about those moments. I want to examine the state of being, that shall henceforth be referred to as Happiness.
In this theory of happiness, I feel that there are things I consider to be key to my life. When I have all of these things I’m very happy, with any combination of them I can still be happy, but it may not be on a daily basis, with only one of these things I am only happy on occasion. Without any of them I’m just not happy. Now for me there are three of these “keys” and they are somewhat abstract. I’m sure given time I could refine them more, but for now they’ll do. My keys are not going to work for other people. I expect that everyone has their own set. Still that may be wrong.
My first “Key” is quality nourishment. I mean this in both a mental and physical way. (Don’t worry, I’ll explain.) First let’s look at the term quality. By this I mean above the standard fair. I want my nourishment to be pleasing on several levels. Let me give an example. I want the food I eat to taste good, be well prepared, served in a pleasant manner (by my self or others), and leave me satisfied. For the most part that means instant ramen won’t cut it, but it doesn’t mean that only fine dinning does.
Now, physical nourishment is rather basic. It is food and drink. It can be as simple as a glass of water, as complex as a twelve course meal. As long as it is of a high quality. It’s hard to explain but I know what I like, and I guess that is true for each person.
Quality mental nourishment is a bit more complex. They way I see it is feeding my brain. Good books, complex conversations, writing, and learning new things. All of these things are as necessary to me as food and drink.
So when I am properly nourished I am at least partly happy. I’ll write on this more soon. Until then Respected Reader, please feel free to share your thoughts. I’d love to see what “keys” other people have.