That Happiness.

I used to look for happiness in this life not realizing I'm not even sure what happiness means. Is it that joy I find when I'm with the the people I love? Is it the quiet contentment derived from accomplishments and possessions, the fast return on emotional investment, or the realized dreams? Is being surrounded by friends in merriment, being appreciated, getting validation for who I am, and getting what I want, account as occurrences that make up this happiness that we all seem to blindly chase forever, every single day?

Is it in looking good and receiving compliments, in eating good food to satisfy my pride, enjoying momentary exploits to create the impression that I'm in the prime of my life, in taking happy pictures to capture memories that will allow people to see the good things happening to me, and the admiring eyes from people I have always wanted to impress?

I found out that happiness lies in that peaceful feeling we get before we fall asleep - with or without the tangible things that made our hearts skip or gave us tears. I may never be able to extract the exact meaning of happiness for you but happiness will differ depending on the values that are most important to you.

Despite the seemingly endless pursuit of this abstract noun called happiness, I am convinced I am blessed with it already.