#570 Happiness

Summary: It's the universal goal but what (exactly) is happiness? Where does it come from? Does 'happiness' (the word) mean the same thing for all of us? Can it be lasting or is it fleeting? Is it about the 'thing' that's happening in our physical world, is it about our internal 'story' about those external things (event, situation, conversation, outcome, encounter) or maybe something else? Is happiness the same as joy? Euphoria? Calm? Satisfaction? Contentment? Perhaps (for some) it's the absence anxiety, depression, over-thinking and discontent. Is it possible to experience happiness, despite being in a crappy situation? Can we consciously 'create' it? How does our thinking influence our overall level of happiness? What role does our programming, upbringing and conditioning play in ability to 'be' happy? This episode is me thinking out loud about all these questions (with input from Melissa). Enjoy.