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How do you know if you're truly happy?

210 Answers
Last Updated: 06/11/2022 at 2:49am
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Top Rated Answers
ellie017
July 14th, 2016 7:59pm
Happiness is not always something that can happen easily every day. Sometimes you have to be a little sad, to appreciate being happy more. It'd be very cliché to say that when you're truly happy - you'll know it without questioning it, without thinking about this, but I guess it's the truth. I think being truly happy means going to bed at night and instead of thinking about a perfect scenario and what could have happened, you're thinking about your day and what has happened during it.
Rocknangel
July 13th, 2016 3:29pm
Good question by the way. You can tell if you are truly happy when you are eager to wake up each day with excitement. You have energy. People notice that you are a cheerful person and they want to get to know you more. And you would not be in a situation where you have to ask yourself this question. You would just know it. Little things like talking to a good friend can make you happy for the moment. But to be truly happy you should be able to love your life, be passionate about something or have someone who you truly love which makes want to wake up everyday and do something with your life. Hope this helped :).
MiraculousShiny62
September 16th, 2016 5:23pm
First of all, happiness is based on circumstances. However, having Joy is not. Happiness is what you feel when you have made an "A" on a test. You may be happy for a little while based on the circumstance; however, later in the day you may find out you didn't do so well on another test. Suddenly, the fact that you got an "A" earlier diminishes your happiness. When you experience joy deep inside, you are able to look past the circumstances knowing that in life there are ups and downs which causes you to look at life in a positive manner knowing that regardless of whether you received an "A" or a "D", it's okay. So, my friend, let's live life not so much to achieve happiness, but long lasting JOY.
SimplyBeing
July 13th, 2016 9:36am
What is happy? I chased happiness as if it were an escapee or a thief that had taken something from me for a long time. Then one day I was working at a temple and looked up and realized that hours had passed and I had not felt lonely or depress. I had a deep feeling of accomplishment and contentedness. It was an experience different from the happiness that comes from opening presents or seeing a movie. That feeling passes quickly. Contentedness and the sense that your life has purpose is a lasting feeling and leads or more experiences of contentment in the future. Take a look at TED talks on positive psychology. It may help you put happiness in a new light. I wish you peace. ~J
toastedturnip
July 14th, 2016 9:39am
True happiness spread through your entire body and fills you up with love and warmth. You feel happy simply because you do, not comparing it to anyone else's. You feel it. You are it.
Rebekah
August 8th, 2019 10:16am
Happiness lies within yourself. Knowing that you're happy is all down to yourself and how you treat others. Asking other people how to work it out for you is never beneficial, because everyone has a different version of happiness. Your happiness is YOURS, and you'll know it deep down when the time comes. What does the feeling feel like? That, we can answer. It can feel like your heart is burning, but in a beautiful way. It can feel like everything is possible, pure bliss. It can feel unreal. Everything is unique, and happiness is one of those things that you can never put your finger on until it happens. TRUE happiness comes in many different forms.
here4you201
July 17th, 2016 6:15pm
Happiness can be defined in infinite ways. Personally, I believe happiness comes from gratitude. When you are just sitting there, eating food, and suddenly a smile pops out on your face.
SacredArtist
July 31st, 2016 5:54am
True happiness feels easy and synchronous and harmonius. Happiness is without deep worry and bother. Happiness is when we have finally accepted ourselves, foremost, and our circumstances enough to either like them the way they are or be unafraid to change them. Or unfraid to wait for that change, work for that change, make leaps for that change because with happiness every leap is fun, every new thing is exciting. When excitement leads, positive progress begins.
Tazzie
September 22nd, 2016 7:02am
According to me, one is truly happy when they are getting a good quality sleep,eating well and are finding joy in the smallest of things.
Apollosdaughter
March 28th, 2018 3:07pm
By listening to my soul. And feel myself happy inside and outside. It is a feeling which cant be really expressed.
Livelovedream18
June 1st, 2018 11:59pm
You know if you're happy when you smile and have a reason to smile but also being happy also means you are strong and will remain that way.
admirableLight18
January 18th, 2017 8:39pm
I think you're truly happy if you feel like you, who you are is being celebrated and you feel loved by your friends and family. I think it's when you feel hopeful about tomorrow and when you love dreaming about what tomorrow holds and the possibilities that could unfold. I think it's when you know that love isn't so far away, it's actually much closer than you think, and when you realize that you love yourself and your life and you want to chase the things you want and live the life you imagine. I think the best way to feel "truly happy" is to keep a warm and open heart towards everyone you come across.
Anonymous
June 17th, 2018 9:14pm
Personally, I know that I'm truly happy when the joy overrides me and drives me towards sharing it with someone else in some way. That person may be a stranger that I can't help but direct a smile at, and if I'm alone then I'll be moving around like an electron.
Greatlistener87
- Expert in Managing Emotions
July 8th, 2016 2:45am
If you are proud of where you are and what you are doing knowing that this is where you wanna be, then you might be truly happy. Honestly people are always looking for happiness, it gives them a sense of direction.
RaCat
August 12th, 2016 7:38pm
I personally think that if you are truly happy you are not wondering what it means to be happy, you just living your life and enjoying it.
lovingLynx89
August 24th, 2016 11:16pm
You know you are truly happy when you are grateful and passionate about life everyday. When problems only seem like challenges you can triumph over. You now you are truly happy when you feel love for yourself and others and when you chose to smile even when things are not going your way.
PeaceInEveryStep00
March 12th, 2017 11:45am
When thinking about happiness, it's important to distinguish between pleasure and happiness. Pleasure is something we are more familiar with. For instance, kissing a partner, acing an exam, or hugging a puppy gives us great joy and pleasure but the feeling is temporary. Happiness, on the other hand, is long lasting. If you are content on a daily basis of how things are going in life, then that's a sign of being truly happy. If you're around people you respect, and respect you back, and you're around individuals whom you can be yourself around... these are qualities that will bring you closer to achieving happiness. It is often necessary to decrease negative emotions from our lives in order to uncover true happiness.
AHelpfulPoet
May 17th, 2019 10:25am
When you can make yourself smile with barely any effort. Just by thinking about something. When you can make other people smile with barely any effort. Just by saying something. Creating your own happiness, and creating the happiness of other people, that's how you achieve true happiness. There is no greater pleasure, nor greater sense of gratification, than what comes from being the reason for someone else's happiness. And through that, we make ourselves happy. The simple truth that I personally live by is this: Kindness is the easiest and most rewarding form of fun. Be Kind. Have Fun.
Emmo
January 6th, 2019 4:24pm
you don’t. i guess it’s just what you choose to believe in. do you believe in ultimate happiness? do you believe that you have it? how do you define “truly”? it varies all the time. the question was never about anything but perspective in life. a piece of chocolate can mean true happiness for one person, just as even a castle of gold wouldn’t for another. me, i don’t think about whether or not my happiness is true or false. in the end, it doesn’t matter. what matters is that i feel like i’m happy, and i know i will fight to feel it for even just a moment longer.
Anonymous
June 17th, 2019 2:14pm
I think, first of all, real happiness is a sense of peace and calm. You could tell if you're happy if it's easier to focus your mind on the here and now, not dwell on the past and not worry about the future. Positive thinking comes easier. Have you learned your lessons from your past and moved on? Have you been able to find a balance, not worry about the future yet still take the necessary steps towards your goals? Are you living according to your values? Do you have kind-hearted supporting people around? Have you managed to keep some distance from toxic people in your life and forgive? I feel those are all questions worth asking ourselves to determine if we really are happy. At the end of the day, happiness is something only you can know if you feel. Ups and downs are still going to happen, but you would feel content, tranquil and better able to deal with whatever happens in your life. I hope you are happy :)
GuidedLover45
August 17th, 2019 10:11am
If you are truly happy, you will know it. You will be in an extraordinarily good mood everything, or most things, will feel like they are going right in your life. Being happy isn't based off materialistic things, you can be happy from actions that you show, or actions that are done to you. Happiness is based on your ultimate feeling on life and how you believe you can achieve anything. An example will be like you are very uppity and excited about whats to come, not about how miserable the future will be, because the future will not be miserable, it'll be great!
Heretohelpalways12
August 17th, 2019 6:45pm
True happiness comes from a state of internal fulfillment. Now, fulfillment is different than the excess and avoidance of pain. The latter is hedonism which has been found not to lead to long term happiness. It can be rewarding in the short term to go after pleasure, but in most cases it will not lead to sustained fulfillment. The question you should ask yourself is what brings me contentment? When do I lose track of time? What is the important things to me in life? Once you answer and implement those things in your life, you will be closer to that internal sense of happiness and fulfillment.
lesedima
August 29th, 2019 7:50am
You enjoy the lifestyle you've created and if you've done so with love and intention, you're probably a happy person "Ways to tell if you are truly happy can be assessed by your ability to reach your projected potential and objectives that you have set forth in your life." If you are able to move past the disappointment and weather the storm then you are happy. You speak your truth. The more comfortable you are with your own opinion and yourself, the happier you'll be. if you pursure your passion, then you know that you're truly happy. You can create your joy
BrutallyHonestGuy
August 29th, 2019 7:52am
For me, true happiness is based on 3 things, first is to know where you came from, second is to know where you are currently and third is where you are going. And this can be taken quite literally and at the same time really not. True happiness is knowing your flaws, your mistakes, your past, choosing the right items and memories and walk forward. Know where you are currently, enjoy the things around you and appreciate them. Use it however you can in a positive way. And where you are going, because there is no one who can be sad about going to his goal and his dream. It's when you figure out who you are, and what you truly want is when you are truly happy. Otherwise it fades away.
sheldon0022
August 29th, 2019 8:52am
When I am happy, I am very attentive, my vision becomes clearer, I can smell my environment more, my mind is empty of thoughts and I just feel relaxed and completely present in the moment. Those moments stay in my memory, and whenever I am not happy, trying to recall them makes me feel better :D . You can't always be happy though, which is a good thing, otherwise you wouldn't be looking forward to being happy from to time, haha. For example, I have this moment of being truly happy, and it was just this random day I was sharing a cup of coffee with my family and it was raining. The sound of the rain, the smell of the earth and coffee, everyone laughing and chatting, I fondly remember that moment and feel perplexed by how is this even a happy memory? How is this even important to me? Isn't that just any other day? Majority of my happy memories formed when I was alone though, just the most random moments of my life, haha.
Anonymous
September 6th, 2019 9:14am
Everyday we all go through a range of emotions, sometimes it is hard to pinpoint exactly what emotions these are, and sometimes it is very easy, for example anger is an emotion that is easy to judge for most people because it is felt very strongly. Happiness is harder to define, because happiness is not always only one feeling, for example some people may say they are happy if they feel content, or if they feel safe and others may define it based on a particular situation such as 'I am currently eating my favourite jam doughnut and that makes me very happy'. To judge if you are happy each day, first of all define the things/times of day/situations/people that make you happy and write them down. Being aware of what makes you feel happy/makes you laugh/makes you feel safe/content is the first step to knowing what makes you happy. Then, when you have this list, try to do more of those things :) It could be small things like, having a cup of tea/coffee with a friend, talking to a parent on the phone, having a bath, to bigger things like going on holiday, planning an event. At the same time, try to work out what makes you feel bad/unhappy and try to move away from those things. If you can't then speak to someone about it. The listeners at 7 Cups are always here for you!
MonicaQu
April 11th, 2020 9:06pm
So, how do we know if we are truly happy I guess one idea would be that we could base our happiness around our present although some like to think about their future. Like, you may think you might be happy in the future but you forget to live in the moment and enjoy it. For example, I look forward to seeing my family but I have a lot I could do today look at my dog, talk to my husband or the neighbor. Like you can think true happiness could be enjoying the smallest things in life like having a place to stay, food to eat a place to sleep things like that. Another idea could be being happy with who you are for example, accepting whether you are a quiet person, the way you look and your family things like that.
freshSunshine8864
April 12th, 2020 5:47pm
For me, I always ask myself, "What am I missing in my life that I can't control?" Most of the time I respond to myself that I am in control and if I need something to fulfill a hole in my life, then I know that I can go get. As long as I am not obtaining that missing piece at the expense of another human being. I've been through a lot in my life and yes I've been unhappy. But, I have to point myself in the right direction for my wants and needs. When I do that and am not taking advantage of another person, then that is when I realize I am happy, because I end up doing it for my self-care.
Anonymous
April 16th, 2020 6:31am
Our true happiness define by our peace of mind. when our mind is not wondering here and there finding solution of our problems ,making pre amsumptions. Making mind away from any kind of stress bring peace inside and thats thing make you truely happy. Other thing is our desires, Our actual happiness is not about desires but the fulfillment of needs in life. When as a person u have learned what is difference between your needs and wants .Automatically you have learned your way to Happiness. Not seeking materialistic world and money as your priority but small happiness in life.Be happy .
julesfrogington
April 8th, 2020 3:12am
you can just feel it, you know it when you stop asking yourself when you will be happy, you will know when your not hurting, you will know when you love yourself, you will know when you not faking it anymore, you will know when tears of hurt turn to tears of joy, you will know when your truly happy, it is all in the feeling, you will never always be happy but learning to let it out and communicate to people, its all in the feeling, you will never know until you reach your final chapter and you reflect on your life