Published: October 21, 2009 12:00 pm      

Randy Sheridan: Happiness: What does it look like?

For millions of people in the world, happiness is derived from satisfying basic living needs such as clean water, enough food and humble living accommodations. Working hard, raising a family, celebrating community traditions and living in peace probably define some of the goals for most of us.

However, people born in the more affluent countries of Western civilization tend to take life’s basic needs for granted. From birth throughout childhood, while living in abundance compared to most Third World countries — our expectations — when it comes to happiness, involve much more than survival needs.

And yet, survival is still the No. 1 priority for millions of people in the world today! In America we are prone to think we are really struggling if we live from paycheck to paycheck and think if we only had more money we would be happy.

One medical doctor, as well as a clinical psychologist, suggest that if you don’t clearly define happiness, it is unlikely that you will ever consider yourself happy. Does that mean happiness is a figment of one’s imagination or more often than not is defined by our perceptions? Probably the latter.

Did you know that according to recent research, Americans say they feel happy only 54 percent of the time. And that they feel neutral about the subject 25 percent of the time. Over one-fifth of the populace has the blues 21 percent of the time.

Perhaps that explains the findings of a recent report. The Mitchum Report on Stress showed that work, money and family issues are the most common constant sources of stress for most people in the United States.

Are you aware that a person is more likely to die from a heart attack or stroke between 9 and 11 a.m. on a Monday than at any other time of the week? Why you ask? Because most Americans perceive Monday morning as the most stressful time of the week!

Your perceptions are at the root of a high percent of the stress your body experiences! Approximately 19 million Americans suffer from depression. Another 19 million suffer from anxiety.

And about 20 percent of American adults suffer from a diagnosable mental disorder in any given year.

While approximately 50 percent of us suffer from insomnia at least a few times each week! No wonder we are on edge, road rage has increased, and heart attacks abound, even with better technology and all of our medicinal advancements.

Our culture seems to be in search mode, looking everywhere they possibly can, trying to secure this elusive commodity we know as happiness. Pornography is a multi-billion dollar industry. From alcohol to drugs, there is a constant effort to find happiness!

Millions of dollars are spent every day in this relentless pursuit! Looking for the next fix or the next high in an effort to try and satisfy a void, that I personally believe only God can fill. To be at peace with yourself and with your creator is an invaluable experience.

The perception of what happiness is, can often be distorted by life itself, by television and Hollywood. Isolation, no, but minimal exposure to so much of the unhealthy stuff we call entertainment can only be a plus to a more positive perception.

By the way, no particular church has a monopoly on this solution. It’s a one on one event that sets you in motion on the journey of a lifetime.

What does happiness actually look like? Glad you asked, because it seems as though the mysterious search has become the impossible dream for so many. But from the ruins of failure and despair, look up — happiness is not only available — it’s a game changer!

How many happy people do you know? I’m not talking about the ones with the pasted on smiles who offer a glib but unrealistic “Everything is fine by me!” I’m talking about people who are really happy, cheerful and pleasant to be around. They light up the room when they walk in.

Webster says, “Happiness is a state of well-being and contentment, a pleasurable satisfaction.” If you have to wait for Friday afternoon to arrive before “happiness” shows up, then you have decided to live in an unhappy state the rest of the week.

While no one can be happy all the time, it certainly has something to do with our state of mind, or as Zig Ziglar says, “Your attitude is your altitude!”

What does happiness look like? Start with looking for someone who is in possession of a grateful disposition and you’ll more than likely find happiness in a beautifully framed personality.



Randy Sheridan of Burleson is a speaker, counselor and mediator. He can be reached at drsheridan@aol.com.