Cheerful, Not Happy

Ask many what they want in life and the answer is ‘to be happy.’
But what does that even mean? Happy isn’t quantifiable.

What amount of happy equals happiness?
To me, happy is a future event. It’s how we will feel after we achieve X or buy Y.

So, instead of striving for happy, how about being cheerful?

What’s the difference?
Happy requires external factors like exotic holidays, the latest technology or the perfect partner to fulfil it.
Cheerful is an internal feeling, something we can create with a simple shift in mindset.
If we can muster up the energy we can display this cheerfulness with a smile, even when we don’t feel like it.

Being happy all the time isn’t sustainable.
The ups and downs are a key part of life.

So, next time you don’t feel happy, try being cheerful instead.