What is Happiness?

My students do a project every year about happiness. I teach American literature, and the way I've arranged it is by posing a central question to them every quarter. When I frame this project, it's couched in the driving question, "How do others define the pursuit of happiness?" We talk about how their rights as Americans include, "life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness," and then we begin to talk about what that means. It's kind of cool. I'm able to tie in some of the curriculum to it -- the old classics like The Great Gatsby, Death of a Salesman, and others, to give them a primer of which pathways that they think will make them happy but are actually blind alleys. They (hopefully) learn what happiness is NOT. But we also spend an outsized amount of time trying to define what happiness IS, discussing the roads that will lead them to something that is sustained and true.

Why has our society tied happiness to having things? Net worth and net happiness do not go together. They just aren't exclusive to each other. But young people (let's face it, ALL people) are awash with images and messages that tell them a lie: material gain will make you happy. I spend a lot of time on that. I feel like a tiny speck in a hurricane trying to explain to them that beyond security for the basics, food, clothing and shelter, their well-being won't ride on acquisition. I draw from experiences from my own life and I set them before my classes. "I've had a little and I've had a lot. You have to trust me. I can tell you that in leaner times, I was happy, too. You don't have to have stuff to make you happy."

I wonder, do they believe me? Do you?

So then I talk to them about something I learned a long time ago. In ancient times, there was a different definition of joy. And by joy, I do mean happiness and well-being. I call it soul-satisfaction in my classes. In Hebrew, the word is chara. The Greeks called it khara. We call it joy. But not the bubbles in your tummy type of feeling we associate with joy today. This emotion seemed to go much more deeply than that. Check it out.

Imagine this feeling: you wake up in the morning and you know you've got a busy day. You rested well and you feel ready for what is to come. This day includes family and friends, positive interactions, purposeful and intentional activity throughout the day, good food, a consistent and steady movement toward what you mean to accomplish for the day. You may find time to meditate and pray in this day, giving thanks and gratitude to the One who has provided this life to you. And when the end of the day comes, you put your head back down and think, "I've accomplished everything I wanted to do today. I felt good; I felt connected to people I love and who love me. I ate well and I feel satisfied."

That baseline of contentment is how the ancients defined happiness. This is what chara means. And it looks like a pretty good life to me!

So I strive to undo what so much of their young lives have shown them to mean happiness. I don't know if they hear me. But I want them to -- and I hope you see it, too. The things that you prioritize are quite different than what happiness actually is. This doesn't mean drifting without goals or purpose; quite the opposite is true. Chara means having purpose and direction. It is a much more meaningful life and a much more meaningful way to approach how you live.

Here's hoping that you'll walk toward a life that is much more likely to bring you happiness. Do a little experiment. Endeavor to connect with people around you. Put down your phone. Look someone in the eye and connect with them in a meaningful way. Say "please" and "thank you" as you go about your tasks today. You will be amazed at how different you will feel by the end of the day.

Chara, my friends! Peace and love to you.