HAPPINESS

BY: MARIANNE JOY TORIO

All my life I have thought that Happiness is being joyful, the feeling of having a good life that you cannot
help but smile and laugh all the time, but after reading the essay entitled "Being Happy", I have realized
the other meaning of happiness. "Contentment", accepting life and the past as it is, will lead to happiness,
and it is the thing that I knew I lacked. At this moment I saw what I was longing for, the genuine
happiness.

I am a kind of person who is shy and introvert, I always have a hard time keeping up conversations,
answering questions, and making new friends. I always thought that I am "less than" from those who are
outgoing in nature, and because of that I have pretended, I started to speak loudly, tells jokes, recites on
class, and even perform in front of a crowd, but it was the hardest thing I have done. My peers always
said the I have done well but for me it was torture, not the fact that I have tried going out my comfort
zone but when things goes wrong I only have myself to blame.

I was raised to be independent, and for me, I am the only one who understands myself well, I don't tell
anyone of my problems and kept it to myself only. I go to my room to vent out my anger, cry out of
sadness, and solve my problems quietly. However, there are times that I was at peak of my emotions; I
was stressed by the load of works and the expectations.

From all the lessons I learned throughout my life, I tried to seek happiness. I started accepting my flaws, I
started to be true to myself, and enjoy the leisure time I have, but things and the situations, the problems
are just circulating, it is nonstop. When I have thought that I am already happy, I longed for genuineness.

"I would like to remind you that being happy is not having a sky without storms, or roads without
accidents, or work without fatigue, or relationships without disappointments." is the phrase that strike me
the most. I realized that the state of happiness I am in is already genuine. All the problems along with the
joyful events are all part of life; I just need to be contented, and make things my own achievement.

When I am stressed about works, I can rest, when I succeed, I can celebrate, but if I fail, I can take it as a
lesson learned and start all over again. I have my parents, teachers, friends, and God who guides me and
joins me throughout my journey, they are my biggest happiness I treasure the most. Life in nature is hard,
all I can do is be contented and learn how to make these obstacles an advantage and opportunity to live
my life better.