“The happiness of this life depends less on what befalls you than the way in which you take it.”
—Elbert Hubbard
Life is not a bowl of cherries for anyone, because we all experience some bumps. Granted, some of us will encounter more bumps, and larger bumps, than others, but the bumpiness of the ride is not the only factor in determining whether we are happy. Happiness depends a lot more on how we think and what we do than it does on the circumstances of our lives.
It is true that some people seem to be born with silver spoons in their mouths while others are born into environments that seem to diminish their prospects for happiness. But birth is just the starting line of our race through life. Those who have a head start because of the circumstances of their birth may have an advantage over others at the start of the race, but this does not guarantee that they will finish ahead of the others. None of us has total control during our journey through life, but we have a lot more control than many of us think.
The mistake that many people make in their quest for happiness has to do with what they think will make them happy. So many people mistakenly believe that wealth and status are the primary determinants of happiness. They think that if only they had more money, a bigger house and a more prestigious position, they would be a lot happier. In most cases, they would not be happier when they reached the higher goals, but would instead conclude that they needed still more money and status to be happy. Some of these status and wealth seekers spend their whole lives feeling miserable, always seeking to become richer and more important.
Happiness is not measured in dollars. Nor is it measured by one’s stature in life. Happiness is not a destination that we are trying to reach. Instead, it is a way of traveling and a way of thinking. Happiness is not a set of circumstances in life. It is how we react to pain and disappointment, and how we treat others. People who are homeless or hungry aren’t likely happy, but this doesn’t mean that we have to be rich to be happy. There is a certain basic minimum standard of living below which it would be hard for anyone to be happy. But once people rise above that level to a point where they have adequate food, clothing, housing and other basic necessities, economic factors no longer prevent them from being happy. If they have all the basic necessities of life and still are not happy, increased prosperity will do little to make them happier.
The greatest source of happiness for most of us is our relationships with other people. If we love people who love us back, we have plenty of reasons to be happy. The amount of love that we give and receive is, in my opinion, the greatest measure and determinant of happiness. So, no matter how difficult life’s journey, we can find happiness, at least part of the time, through loving and being loved.
Think about it.
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Copyright 2025
Allen W. Smith
