One of the routes to happiness is to enjoy 'happeness' - to find reasons to be cheerful in the moment. No huge long-term commitment is necessary, just a sense of 'looking for the good' at this point, right now. 'Happeness', then, is my word for 'Happiness-as-it-happens'.

Why is this important? It seems generations have been searching for 'Happiness' – an oasis of bliss in the desert that Life can sometimes be. When asked, "Are you 'Happy'?" most of us have to honestly declare, "No!" because we are not – not if Happiness is an enduring state of mind, the place where we permanently dwell.

'Happiness' is a verb that's been turned into a noun. My hairline has receded. That didn't happen overnight – it was a long process. 'Recession' is a similar noun – the result of the process of receding. 'Happiness' would seem to be the process of being 'Happy' over a period of time. 'Happiness' doesn't happen overnight either. Like recession, perhaps we can reach happeness one hair at a time! The equivalent of each hair would be one, single experience of 'Happeness'. Even when Life isn't pleasant, I still find those moments of Happeness: the Oak seedling in the middle of the lawn that I dug up to nurture, the Clematis seed head dripping with rain drops like jewels, the breath-taking beauty of the Cirrus clouds, the warm, chocolatey resonance of Mickey – the Cat's purr, the scent of fresh Coffee, the joy of sharpening my pencil...

Here's how the new word happened... I was on my way to see my lads on Father's Day. It was rather busy on the roads, and I was making slow progress. The weather was gorgeous weather. Mentally, I was in a good place, ready for some fresh revelation.

A real 'Aha!' moment happened (!) concerning transforming 'happiness' by changing just one letter - from 'happiness' to 'happeness'. I realised how one of the pathways to happiness is to realise how we can cherish the moment.

It was Father's Day. I'd got some moments ahead of me to cherish. I was reflecting on how a lot of people are oppressed by regrets from the past, or perhaps fears of unfulfilled hopes for the future, whereas, 'now' is the moment in which we live and move and have our being! This is where it happens. Thus, I think that 'happeness' may be one of the pathways to happiness - to enjoy this moment now. Happen, happy, happenstance... a family of words.

I have many reasons to regret the past, and huge fears for the future but neither of these serve me very well. I need a new strategy, a new pattern of thinking.

There I was, sitting in very, very busy traffic, on a very, very hot day... happy! Other drivers, stuck in the same traffic, did not look happy! I was happy because I'd brought with me great stuff to listen to. I was stuck in traffic - utterly inspired! - utterly happy!

There it was and is then: Happeness - one of the pathways to happiness – a way to enjoy the journey. Whatever you are doing today, I wish you safe journeys, great happiness, and, above all, great happeness.

And if you think it would be helpful, here's the video of that moment!

http://bit.ly/2urfAsf

Lex

A Moodscope member.