Happiness

What is happiness? Is it success? Is it family? Is it money? I don't really know, I thought happiness was all of these once. Today as a 30-year-old woman with children and a happy marriage, my mind set has changed on what happiness is. I still think money would help to make my family happy but mainly because we are a low-income family. $75,000 a year would help us greatly! A bigger house would help too. However, I don't think that happiness is how much money we make. I love my family; I would rather see them then work. Sadly, I need to work so we can survive. I do not however, need to survive to work. My family comes first always as does my mental health. So, what is happiness? Well, to me it is the time and experience I get to spend with my family.

There are five things I am always grateful for. These things are what keep me going when times get rough. I am not religious in the sense that I believe in the Christian deity, but I am spiritual and follow the path of paganism. Earth is my religion and the elements that surround us. This gives me balance and flow. I am grateful for my family; without them I would have nothing to strive for. My family grows every day, blood or chosen. I am grateful for my talents; music, art, and writing. These give me inspiration and a reason to spread love and kindness or adventure. I am grateful for my medication, because of it, I am able to help heal my mind that I once lost and heal my heart that was damaged from the past. I am grateful for music because it is my life. Finally, I am grateful for my faith, because the universe will always provide, and it will always give me challenges that I can overcome.

I always had the mindset that money won't buy my happiness. I did, however, know that it would help ease the burden of living in this world. I would so much rather spend my money on a trip to visit family in Europe than a pair of red bottom shoes. I will always choose to recycle rather than buy new. However, I didn't know that Japan was such a depressing place. Karoshi sounds like something that I myself have gone through or nearly missed. I chose family over my jobs so many times because they are what is important to me. This is why I chose to go to school for writing and not some sort of mediocre job. This way I can spend time with my kids and husband.