Happiness is not just one feeling, just look in any thesaurus. Have you noticed that each synonym reveals different levels of happiness? It's useful to know these when we're learning #howtobehappy. Which 'happy' are we aiming for?
Starting from the bottom
Here is my list of the different levels of #happiness. I'm starting with the lowest level of happiness, that hopefully we've all experienced some time in our lives.
• Well being is a state of being comfortable, healthy and happy,
• satisfaction is the pleasure derived from the fulfillment of our wishes, expectations, or needs,
• tranquility is being free from disturbance, being calm,
• whilst contentment is a state of happiness and satisfaction,
• and serenity is the state of being calm, peaceful, and untroubled.
Here is my list of the different levels of #happiness. I'm starting with the lowest level of happiness, that hopefully we've all experienced some time in our lives.
• Well being is a state of being comfortable, healthy and happy,
• satisfaction is the pleasure derived from the fulfillment of our wishes, expectations, or needs,
• tranquility is being free from disturbance, being calm,
• whilst contentment is a state of happiness and satisfaction,
• and serenity is the state of being calm, peaceful, and untroubled.
Is this Normal for you?
Having read that list, do you think, "Hmm, I wish I felt like that!" or maybe "Hey, that's not what I call happiness!" It's interesting that one person's normal level of happiness is on another person's wish list. Or are you thinking that these states of being are so normal and commonplace that you didn't consider them to be states of happiness at all?
Having read that list, do you think, "Hmm, I wish I felt like that!" or maybe "Hey, that's not what I call happiness!" It's interesting that one person's normal level of happiness is on another person's wish list. Or are you thinking that these states of being are so normal and commonplace that you didn't consider them to be states of happiness at all?
Moving Higher
Well, the list continues and I'm taking the happiness up a notch with these feelings. Take a look and see if you ever feel these emotions?
• pleasure can be described as a feeling of happy satisfaction and enjoyment,
• when you're in good spirits you're feeling cheerful,
• and cheerfulness is being noticeably happy and optimistic,
• lightheartedness and gaiety are both cheerful and carefree,
• merriment is gaiety mixed with fun,
• and gladness is being happy about good fortune,
• jollity is being cheerful,
• whilst joviality is being cheerful and friendly.
So, have you noticed the levels of happiness getting more jolly? Well they get even jollier in this next section.
Well, the list continues and I'm taking the happiness up a notch with these feelings. Take a look and see if you ever feel these emotions?
• pleasure can be described as a feeling of happy satisfaction and enjoyment,
• when you're in good spirits you're feeling cheerful,
• and cheerfulness is being noticeably happy and optimistic,
• lightheartedness and gaiety are both cheerful and carefree,
• merriment is gaiety mixed with fun,
• and gladness is being happy about good fortune,
• jollity is being cheerful,
• whilst joviality is being cheerful and friendly.
So, have you noticed the levels of happiness getting more jolly? Well they get even jollier in this next section.
Higher Still
• joy is the feeling, and joyfulness is the expression of great pleasure and happiness,
• enjoyment is to take delight or pleasure in something,
• and delight is a feeling of great pleasure,
• whilst glee is a great delight.
I do hope you've felt some of those emotions at some time in your life. Now, lets move on to happy emotions that contain more excitement.
• joy is the feeling, and joyfulness is the expression of great pleasure and happiness,
• enjoyment is to take delight or pleasure in something,
• and delight is a feeling of great pleasure,
• whilst glee is a great delight.
I do hope you've felt some of those emotions at some time in your life. Now, lets move on to happy emotions that contain more excitement.
Feeling Excitement
• exuberance is being filled with a lively energy and excitement,
• exhilaration is feeling very happy, animated, or elated,
• and elation is great happiness and exhilaration,
• jubilation is a feeling of great happiness and triumph,
• and felicity is a feeling of intense happiness,
Have you ever felt those emotions? I doubt if anyone feels like this all the time. They are emotions we feel at certain stages and events in our lives like getting married, going on holiday or giving birth.
• exuberance is being filled with a lively energy and excitement,
• exhilaration is feeling very happy, animated, or elated,
• and elation is great happiness and exhilaration,
• jubilation is a feeling of great happiness and triumph,
• and felicity is a feeling of intense happiness,
Have you ever felt those emotions? I doubt if anyone feels like this all the time. They are emotions we feel at certain stages and events in our lives like getting married, going on holiday or giving birth.
The Icing on the Cake
And now we're going up the top! Or, as some may say, over the top.
• ecstasy is an overwhelming feeling of great happiness or joyful excitement,
• delirium is wild excitement or ecstasy,
• and rapture is a feeling of intense pleasure or joy,
• blissfulness is being extremely happy and full of joy,
• euphoria is a feeling or state of intense excitement and happiness
• whilst transports of delight is totally being carried away by euphoria,
• and bliss is perfect happiness; great joy; a state of spiritual blessedness (typically that reached after death!)
So there we have them: the different levels of happiness. As we get further up the levels, the emotions are not something we sustain for long. For those people who are basically happy, these emotions are the icing on the cake.
And now we're going up the top! Or, as some may say, over the top.
• ecstasy is an overwhelming feeling of great happiness or joyful excitement,
• delirium is wild excitement or ecstasy,
• and rapture is a feeling of intense pleasure or joy,
• blissfulness is being extremely happy and full of joy,
• euphoria is a feeling or state of intense excitement and happiness
• whilst transports of delight is totally being carried away by euphoria,
• and bliss is perfect happiness; great joy; a state of spiritual blessedness (typically that reached after death!)
So there we have them: the different levels of happiness. As we get further up the levels, the emotions are not something we sustain for long. For those people who are basically happy, these emotions are the icing on the cake.
No comments:
Post a Comment