Thich Nhat Hanh once said, "There isn’t a way to happiness. Happiness is the way." It's a simple, profound reminder of the nature of happiness. Every day, we’re flooded with advertisements suggesting that buying something will bring us joy, or that we need to achieve a certain milestone to finally feel fulfilled. Growing up, we’re conditioned to believe that happiness is something to reach for, as if it’s a destination in the distant future. But what if that perspective is upside down? What if, instead of constantly seeking happiness, we realize that happiness is already here, waiting for us to notice?
Last weekend, I took my children to a pumpkin patch. Watching them hunt for the “perfect” pumpkin, laughing and sharing little jokes—it struck me that this is happiness. In these small moments, happiness is alive and tangible, but it’s easy to miss if we’re too busy or distracted by what’s next on our list. This morning, I looked out the window and noticed the vibrant blue sky. In that moment, I felt a gentle wave of happiness. Listening to the birds singing outside, I felt it again. These moments are not grand or dramatic, but they hold a simple, genuine joy that often goes unnoticed.
How often do we tell ourselves, If only I had this, then I would be happy? When we’re unwell, we may say, Once I’m better, I’ll be happy. And yet, when we regain our health, we often overlook it, moving on to the next “if only” on our list. The cycle continues, leaving us waiting for happiness to arrive sometime in the future.
Even in the Declaration of Independence, our Founding Fathers spoke of the “pursuit of happiness.” To many, this implies that happiness is something to chase after or strive for. However, in older English, the word "pursuit" was closer to "practice." Happiness is not something we pursue like a race; it’s something we practice each day.
So, how do we practice happiness? We practice by being present, by noticing the gifts that surround us. Rather than waiting for certain conditions to be met, we can recognize that many of the elements for happiness are here, right now. We don’t need to say, If I had this, I’d be happy. Instead, we can say, I am here, and there are so many reasons to be happy already. It may be the laughter of loved ones, the sight of a clear blue sky, or simply the ability to breathe deeply and freely.
Happiness isn’t a destination on a map. It isn’t somewhere we can eventually arrive, if we work hard enough or achieve enough. Happiness is a way of being. When we embrace this perspective, we no longer need to chase happiness. We can live it—right here, right now. After all, happiness is not something that awaits us. Happiness is the way.
