Happiness is a vague topic. Sometimes, I think I can be happy if I only convince myself that I really am. But its a continuous work in progress. At times, I still feel down, and I only get to thinking that I need to sustain whatever amount of happiness I already have.
My intuition tells me, I should not get affected by things outside of my powers.. outside of my scope. If they are external forces, then I shouldn't allow myself to be drifted away by the draining effect of these things. The question is, how do we divert the mind to think that whatever external forces acting on us are nothing and they aren't things that can affect us? Answer: Meditation.
I know its kind of difficult to meditate or get to the meditative state if you feel sad, I tried to look for answers if some people ever did try to make some effort on this. Here's some of the things I found:
1. Be Happy (http://www.wikihow.com/Be-Happy)
Its true, everything listed here will get you to happiness. I like #1 and #2 the most. I think, without them, all the other steps would be nothing.
2. Meditation, Happiness and the Trap of the Intellect (http://www.treelight.com/essays/meditationAndHappiness.html)
Here, intellect plays a major role in one's happiness. All you really have to do is.. "Think Happy Thoughts!" That's basically what makes Peter Pan and Tinkerbell fly, right? Then it should make you happy as well (I think). The only challenge now, is to find that happy thought.
3. The Science of Meditation Techniques And True Happiness Explained (http://www.meditation-techniques-for-happiness.com/)
Moment by moment adaptation. I think this sums it all. There is no single point in our lives that, when we are happy we can no longer be sad. Everything is a piece of moment that we can still classify as happy or sad. It means therefore, in broader sense, that we can always struggle to make the next moment better or good. We can pick a mantra in life and follow through with meditation.
See? Everything is a conscious effort. So, we can all go ahead and define who we want to be and how we can live our lives. That is happiness. And when now, that I'm feeling quite low, I must reiterate. I am happy because I choose to be. I will not be affected by forces I cannot control.Let's top this by doing a 10-minute meditation. Follow it here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BGvQ2UQ8yCg