Are you happy or content?

I have so many moments throughout my day where I just stop what I'm doing and try to decide if I'm happy.  Does anyone else do this?  Happiness is so fleeting, I will literally feel euphoric and on top of the world one minute, then no more than a few seconds later I'm feeling just....blah. 

I battle with myself a lot on the matter of happiness vs. contentedness.  I think these two feelings are definitely related, and definitely share some overlap.  I can't really decide if one feeling is better than the other, but I do think it's extremely easy to mistake feeling content with being truly happy.

Now I suppose you're going to tell me that I have to put a definition on these terms.  A most impossible task, I'm afraid, but I'll do the next best thing and ramble on about the two until I reach some kind of random, possibly off the mark point.  

I think most of us are pretty good at figuring out what makes us happy, at defining certain places and people that bring us the most joy.  On the same end of the spectrum it's also easy for us to figure out those things, people, places in life that don't make us happy.  

Yes, it's easy.  Except when it's not. 

I think sometimes we talk ourselves into happiness.  Whether it's with certain people or situations, we rationalize away all the warning flags and somehow convince ourselves that we are, in fact, happy.  But why do we feel the need to do this?  Why is it sometimes so hard for us to admit that happiness eludes us, and that something needs to change?

I think this is where contentedness comes in, which I categorize as the middle ground between happiness and unhappiness.  I think it stems largely from being comfortable with something or someone, and when you are more or less satisfied yet still experience moments of slight panic and yearn for instant escape and reprieve.  Okay, maybe that's a tad dramatic.  But you get my point, right?  Contentedness is okay for awhile....until it's not. 

I think that sometimes, at least for myself, it can be hard for us to break out of our content states because to do so means taking a bit of a risk.  And taking a risk is often a very scary thing.  We lose our security blankets, our sense of familiarity, and failure becomes a very real possibility.  Besides, who out there likes to fail?  How does that in any way lead us to be happier?

What I've come to discover is happiness is something that must be worked toward.  It doesn't just happen on its own and it takes a lot of our own mental energy to make the leap from content to happy.  I struggle a lot in my own life with deciphering between these two states, and even when I know I should make a change and take a chance to better my situation, it's sometimes very hard to take that leap.  I also did not mean to suggest by this post that I am inherently unhappy with my life, but I am working to evaluate things more and trying to force myself to take the steps necessary for some of the things I truly want.  


The picture which accompanies this post is also entirely appropriate because lets face it, dogs know a thing or two about happiness and life's simple pleasures.  Plus, whenever my two beagles do the head tilt similar to the one pictured above, those are moments that make me incredibly happy.