Being happy and feeling happiness

Happiness, happy, to succeed... these are very common and frequently used concepts. Studies have even been done showing that we who live in Finland are happy. A piece of news like that can stir up questions and discussion within us, like "well, am I happy? I suppose I must be, since I live in Finland – but how do I actually know if I'm happy?" Looking back at last year... I think 2020 is a year we'll never forget – but were there happy moments, or do we just want to draw a line through the whole year? If we read and listen to the media, it's easy to conclude that no, it certainly wasn't a happy year. It's easy for outside factors to influence us and tell us what to think and feel. Maybe we should learn to sometimes take a step back from everything happening outside of us, the outer world. Learn to turn inward and truly feel how things feel, and find the connection between ourselves, life, and reality. Was it really 100% bad, or were there events that brought feelings of happiness too? It's healthy to ask yourself sometimes, "what does happiness mean to me, which are the most important components that make just ME feel happy, feel happiness in the moment?" And what's the difference, really? I'd argue that "happy" describes how you feel overall – that life is in balance as a whole. Feeling happiness, on the other hand, is a shorter, sudden rush of emotion – a burst of happiness.

Do we need extreme, standout events and investments for our sense of happiness to awaken? Or is it enough with small, everyday things – like simply getting to eat a good apple? Or perhaps nothing really needs to happen at all, and life is just calm and pleasant? Our values – what matters to us in life – play a decisive role in how we think and perceive ourselves and our surroundings. I tend to ask myself now and then: do I have enough in my life of what I consider important to me, do I have any of it at all? Living according to your own values is a prerequisite for being able to experience feelings of happiness and to feel well. We need to be open with ourselves, have open minds, in order to even notice and be able to reflect on what we feel inside. With an open mind, we can catch our brief bursts of happiness. Allowing ourselves to pause, to look around, to feel... what do I want, where do I want to go, and how am I doing right now?

An effective tool is to create and set your own goals – short-term as well as long-term. Goals don't have to be built solely on a list of tasks to accomplish; they can cover different areas of life. This could include, for example, your own personal development, physical health, finances, relationships, work, and your own recovery and rest. Your life goals form the foundation and give you direction – where you're heading, what you want, and what matters to you. With their help, you can plan more detailed goals and strategies to get there. This might sound simple, but it can take some practice. Do you have a feeling that you don't really know what you want, that everything is basically fine, yet you don't feel especially happy... well, what do you do then? And have you perhaps, every year, made New Year's resolutions, only to have forgotten them before January is even over? I'll ask you – how specifically had you structured your New Year's resolution? Had you set an exact date by which it should be fulfilled? You could also describe us as small individual companies. Companies also set goals and strategies – they create direction for their operations with the aim of achieving growth and success. Life can feel like a jumble sometimes, but I'm convinced that we can all feel happy and experience happiness. Sometimes it's easy to create direction, but sometimes it can help to get support and tools to find the red thread in life and the path to happiness.

Wishing you lots of happy feelings throughout 2021.

Tanja Wickström/With You Personal and Mental Training