Happiness is a feeling of joy and contentment. It can be related to success, love, security, freedom from worry or pain. In order to achieve happiness, you must first understand what it means to be happy. As children, we experience the world with curiosity and excitement which allow us the time to explore new things without judgment. We do not take our thoughts too seriously and enjoy ourselves while learning about life in all its beauty. This is why children are so much happier than adults.
Comparison of the children’s and the adult world
When we become adults, we look at the world with different eyes. We judge and question everything around us and after a few years, most of us will probably not even realize that we do it anymore. We may notice how happy children are because they can experience life with an innocent attitude. The same concept applies to the fact that children see themselves as another part of the world. They are not as self-conscious as adults are. For example, when a child falls over he will turn around and get up again without feeling offended or embarrassed that other people might have seen him fall. This way a child can learn from his own experiences and mistakes. He will then be able to use what he learned to avoid such situations.
Children’s happiness is mainly driven by their curiosity. They love to explore the world around them and are intrigued by its beauty. A child may stare at a flower for hours because it is different from his surroundings and has not yet learned that all flowers look alike. No matter how many times a day you explain that the flower looks like any other flower the child will not be convinced. The same can be said about other things that are new to a child. When you are traveling with your children they want to know what feelings certain smells or sounds give you. They do not judge, but simply ask because curiosity is an important part of learning and growing up. It stimulates us to explore and to try out new things.
When we become adults, we have to deal with feelings continuously because of our judgments. We are scared of being judged by other people which may lead us not to do certain things, to make different choices, or even to be unhappy with ourselves. Another example is the sense of security a child has in comparison with an adult. When a child is playing outside he doesn’t care if his parents are watching him from the living room window. As long as he knows that they are there he feels safe. A child can explore the world around him without worrying. He is not afraid of making mistakes or failing because he knows that his parents are there for him to catch him when he falls. The unconditional love a child gets from his parents allows them to experience life without fear. A child sees his parents as being able to protect and defend himself against any danger.
Children enjoy what happens around them and take things as they happen, which allows them to relax. When children grow up they are told about how the world works. We tell them that things won’t always go their way and that some people will betray you while others might let you down and some will try to hurt you. This is why we often experience fear in our adult life. We tend to take on too much responsibility for things that we might not be responsible for. We end up wondering if we did it right and what could happen if we do something wrong.
Children might not think about the future and thus appear to be carefree, but on the other hand, adults think too much about future problems that put pressure on themselves. Adults tend to focus more on what is wrong with them or their environment than find something positive or enjoy what they have. A child can be happy by playing with a shoelace, while an adult needs to have fun at the most luxurious restaurant in town. An adult might think that if he or she has a problem then everyone else does too, but this is not true. Adults’ thoughts can even take away their ability to enjoy things around them like music, hiking, or the scenery on a drive. After a while, this can lead to adults worrying about things that they cannot control, and eventually, it may even drive them insane.
But what is happiness?
A lot of people consider happiness as something you deserve or pursue after accomplishing certain goals in your life. Happiness is not a goal to achieve, but a state of realizing how beautiful and how special our lives can be. When we accept things as they are it will make it easier for us to find happiness in our life. Trying to change other people will not only fail but also prevent us from finding peace within ourselves. We need to tell children that there is no right or wrong way to be happy which might allow them to see happiness in different colors.
Adults should learn from children and stop taking on too much responsibility, as well as worrying about things that are beyond their control. By letting go of our judgment, expectations, and worries, we are potentially freeing up space for happiness. More importantly, shared happiness might help to make the world a better place for everyone.