Where Do You Search for Happiness?

Today is Saturday, August 17, 2013.

A few days ago, I wrote about being an introvert.   I think today's quote (author unknown) has to do with the way introverts normally search for happiness.  Introverts don't get their energy from others, so they don't tend to look for happiness in others, either.  However, the majority of people on the planet are extroverts, which means they do get their energy from other people, so it stands to reason that they tend to look for happiness in others, as well.  

When we invest in others the power of making us happy, we also, unfortunately, invest them with the power to make us unhappy.  In other words, we give away our power to other people.  When we don't make it other people's job to make us happy, we gain freedom to be happy when and how we choose, regardless of the circumstances we find ourselves in. 

What is happiness, anyway?  Perhaps the best answer is that it is a form of contentment.  It means we are OK with the way things are, even if the situation seems negative, difficult, or unpleasant, because we know that we can get through it and we will come through on the other side stronger and more capable of dealing with the next problem.  It means that we are aware that our lives are a gift from the Creator, an opportunity to grow and serve.  It means that we realize that nothing happens by chance, that we have the power to affect the outcome of a situation, even if the only thing we can change is our own attitudes. 

Sometimes people think they are unhappy when they are really only bored.  It's as if they have to be entertained all the time.  These people forget that it is possible to entertain oneself.  They also forget that they sometimes feel bored even when they are with someone else.  

These days being in possession of a computer with Internet access is a way of entertaining ourselves.  Perhaps that is why recent studies have shown there are more and more introverts.  Are we as a species re-training ourselves to be alone, physically, because we can still be with others in cyberspace?  Certainly, with the Internet as a window to the world, there should never be an excuse to feel bored or alone. 

On the other hand, social media are what most people use the Internet for, so I guess people are still looking for others to make them happy.    :-/