Bottom line of our lives is to be happy, or the pursuit of happiness itself;

The source of happiness could be one or more of the denominating factors that drives people to live, hopefully.

I that have taken up a seemingly philosophical topic – will adhere to try defining what happiness I am talking about.
Is it possible to define happiness?
I’d say negative, and will directly digress into the cataloging of the range of sources.

Happiness from within

What makes me personally happy is accomplishments – even if they’re small and trivial, but in plenty. It is not that I would get depressed if otherwise, but of course it leaves me happy.
So, what are accomplishments I am talking of?

When I am able to inspire, even if in a small way.
Writing , and to read it after a few days and feel awe at my own scribblings.
Reading books.
Learning and transcending deeper into understanding anything that’s obscure.
When my efforts are recognised, duly.
Apart from these accomplishments that make me happy, there are also times when I am happy with myself for being happy with myself for simpler things instead of cribbing about too many grand aspirations.

Happiness from them
The them I speak of here are few, not even a handful.
This is one of the most obscure manifestation of being human – coupling of diverse and disconnected people over deep bonds. Names could be different – affection,  friendship, love or anything else. But it is not the name, it is the sensation.
When intimate ones make us happy, it is surreal, but nice (yes from Notting Hill if you noticed).And stays a mystery even to this moment –  how can I feel immensely happy in relation to another person who isn’t me!
It is human nature and of course, this sensation is what gives all sense to the life we live.
In the list of happiness ushered in from the them I speak of here, music and words emanating from the whole spectrum of creative minds I admire are in their own grand manner making me happy.

Happiness from the rest
We are social beings and it is innate in us to empathise with our fellow beings – to want to alleviate the suffering and misery that is eating a vast portion of the rest of us. The efforts, when invested earnestly in this arduous task also provides us with happiness, which serves as an incentive to invest more efforts in this social responsibility.

Happiness by itself cannot be attained without pursuing it, as emphasised in the movie Pursuit of Happyness. Further, I also believe that deriving happiness only from one of the factors I have mentioned above,and depriving others would still leave us incomplete.True happiness would need to have a recipe containing equal contribution from each of the domains – from within, the them and the rest.