Is HAPPINESS CONTAGIOUS?

I believe it can be highly CONTAGIOUS!

Strangely enough there are so many people out there that do everything to not get infected with HAPPINESS and even prefer to be miserable. They often manage to put up a really hard fight to avoid being HAPPY.

“The present moment is filled with joy and happiness. If you are attentive, you will see it.” —Thich Nhat Hanh

Why is it so hard for some people to embrace HAPPINESS?

From a very early age we are conditioned to function and to be afraid of so many things. Depending on what type of person you are, this can follow you around throughout your entire life. It is so very easy to scare these people. But fear never is or has been a good advisor. We are told from an early age what we must NOT do. Strangely, we are taught much less about what we are allowed to do – for example, to be HAPPY.

We like to be told that life is hard and unforgiving. We often hear that we have to work hard to earn love and HAPPINESS. I have already written in another post about the possibilities of having a choice in life. I also believe that we can choose to be HAPPY.

“Resolve to keep happy, and your joy and you shall form an invincible host against difficulties.” —Helen Keller

Unfortunately, it is a fact that we hold on to negative feelings much more than positive ones. The positive emotions such as HAPPINESS and love seem to be so much more fleeting than fear, anger, sadness, hatred, dissatisfaction, etc.

Yet positive emotions are contagious. You have certainly experienced it when you hear children playing and laughing that you can’t help but laugh or at least smile. The HAPPINESS and joy of others is CONTAGIOUS and it doesn’t even hurt.

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“There is only one happiness in this life, to love and be loved.” —George Sand 

HAPPINESS is not a constant state that we are in. It is more those small moments of HAPPINESS that we enjoy and that we that we long for. It’s also not always about this overwhelming HAPPINESS, sometimes it is about the little joys or just even a certain contentment that we feel when we are at ease and at peace with ourselves. Most of us are tuned in to focus on the negative and the bad things around us (not surprising if you consider the constant bombardment of negativity 24/7), turning a blind eye to the beautiful moments and letting them pass us by without noticing and experiencing them.

“Be happy for this moment. This moment is your life.” —Omar Khayyam 

Of course I realise that in theory, as always, it sounds so very simple and even quite logical. Those are things that deep in our heart we know, but we don’t practice them or have simply forgotten how to consciously experience them. One of the reasons may be that we simply do not make them conscious. Often we just don’t even think about it or make it a priority. How about, maybe just for one day, try and start noticing the good things, the positive things, the joy around us, the HAPPINESS around us without envy or jealousy, but just noticing them and letting ourselves be infected with these positive and beautiful feelings and not with all the negativity that goes on around us. I’m not delusional I know that this is not possible all the time and maybe not every day. But if you remember this once in a while and even if just thinking about it puts a smile on your face I believe it’s definitely going in the right direction.

“Happiness is when what you think, what you say, and what you do are in harmony.” —Mahatma Gandhi

“Spread love everywhere you go. Let no one ever come to you without leaving happier.” —Mother Theresa

Do you believe that HAPPINESS can be CONTAGIOUS? What makes you HAPPY? When was the last time you were really HAPPY? As always I would love to hear from you.

Wishing you a happy weekend and perhaps you can infect someone with HAPPINESS!

Tanja

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