Throughout my life, I have experienced three distinct types of happiness.
The Satellite Happiness: I refer to it as Satellite Happiness because, in a way, it acts that way. It revolves around a person or a set of people just like a satellite orbits around a planet. It is dependent on others for its existence. You attach your idea of happiness to a specific set of people, one or more, who directly or indirectly influence and impact your emotions and state of mind. Inadvertently and inevitably, you generate certain expectations from the people you attach your happiness with, and the outcome of the fulfillment of your expectations from them determines the state of your happiness. Due to this dependency, there will be happy days when your expectations are met, and then there will be sorrowful days when they are not. Because of that, this type of happiness is neither constant as a straight line, nor predictably variable as a sine or cosine wave. It is inherently unstable and fluctuates like a rollercoaster. It is typically observed in close and trusted relationships like family members, spouses, and partners where a great deal of trust and expectations are involved. However, these relationships are capable of causing immense grief and hurt because your happiness is tied to them.
The Sprout Happiness: “As you sow, so shall you reap.” You want a Mango tree? Sow a mango seed. You want an Apple tree? Sow an Apple seed. You want happiness? Sow the seed of happiness. And how do you do that? Find out what makes you happy. What do you love to do? Is it an activity? A hobby? A passion maybe? Follow it. Nurture it. Cultivate it. When they grow and take shape, you will find yourself surrounded by what you love and what makes you happy. One consistent observation I have had is that “an act of kindness” is the ultimate happiness a person experiences, probably because the inherent nature of us homo sapiens is “good”. In a pure environment where human beings have no reason to do evil, they would, by default, do good. Most rich and powerful, after reaching the pinnacle of success, opt to give away through charity or social work, perhaps because it gives a noble meaning to their lives. I have personally felt it too with my own charity and social work. As Buddha said – “Happiness comes from within.” And an act of kindness does just that!
The Absolute Happiness: This is synonymous with bliss. This type of happiness is unfazed by any entity. It is existentially absolute! Unlike Sprout Happiness, you don’t create it, you rather attain it. This is a result of complete or partial spiritual awakening. Sometimes, a state of depression can act as a catalyst to awaken you to see the reality, harsh truths, and fallacies of life, like it did for me. It helps filter out the noise and provides clarity on what’s really important.
