I Want You to Be Happy Day

by Tranquilla Golden-Taylor

I Want You to Be Happy Day!

A flashback through some of the happiest moments of your life… now hit pause. I’ll bet you a dollar that someone is smiling back at you. As humans, we are naturally designed to be interconnected as we seek to achieve the ultimate dream… happiness. For everyone, this looks different but our motivations are the same. You see, we all want to emit joy from our temples to our toes which usually comes on the receiving end of a good phone call, snuggles from our loved ones, or recognition for something we’ve worked hard to achieve. But what about GIVING joy? The fuzziest moments come from putting a smile on someone else’s face that allows them to experience the most powerful emotion- Happiness. “I Want You to Be Happy Day” is celebrated on March 3rd this year and given the current state of things, it couldn’t have come at a better time. A chance to renew, if even for a moment, to melt our stress away.

So, what is happiness? We know it’s the ultimate dream but is it concrete? Abstract? A noun, verb, or adjective? I say it’s all of the above. It’s an ever-evolving construct that shape-shifts to suit our corresponding needs. But who am I? According to the Merriam-Webster Dictionary, Happiness is defined as a state of well-being and contentment or a pleasurable or satisfying experience (2021). So now that we know what it is, how do we achieve it? Better yet, how do we share it with others? Our experiences culminate to define who we become so ultimately, the goal is to make as many meaningful experiences that we can which includes sharing some of our life with others. My go-to is always to Gary Chapman’s Five Love Languages. His collection of books teaches us how to engage and share love based on five primary ways of giving and receiving love.

1. Words of Affirmation: Words that affirm or encourage a person often expressed as compliments or affirmations

2. Acts of Service: Performing acts to show your love and gratitude to someone such as completing chores and helping with the little things

3. Receiving Gifts: Whether big or small, gifts are a token of our appreciation as it shows that we’ve thought of the other person today, even when they aren’t in our presence

4. Quality Time: Just that one-on-one, the uninterrupted time between you and your special person. No phones, no distractions, just you.

5. Physical Touch: It’s not what you think lol. It’s that physical presence that makes us tingle inside. Those big bear hugs, simple forehead kisses, and that much-needed massage.

These examples are not exhaustive but provide some groundwork on how to frame your experiences. By engaging in these acts of expression, we can spread kindness and joy to others. Whether it’s a hug from a stranger or the toothy grin of our children, go out on a limb to make someone happy today. Now, are you ready for some homework? The objective of the day is to make three people happy- a loved one, a stranger, and yourself. No matter how big or small, try to make someone happy today. I have a feeling it’s going to be a good day.

References:

Merriam-Webster, Inc. (2021). Definition of Happiness. https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/happiness.

Chapman, G. (2021). The Five Love Languages. The 5 Love Languages®. https://www.5lovelanguages.com/

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