What is happiness to you? (Non-Western answer)

Happiness is such a Western concept.

In the West, we think of happiness as being something far ahead of us. We do things to move towards it, but it annoyingly remains out of reach. We think of it as one event that will happen to us and then leave us in a positive state afterwards. We remain unsatisfied with every attempt to feel happy and to capture that feeling forever.

But what if that’s the wrong way to go about it?

What if happiness is within reach?

What if we can be happy now, instead of waiting for it to magically appear in our future?

I was asked what makes me happy several times over the past week (because I asked a few friends that same question), and the answer came easily to me: 

It’s living meaningfully - living fully in the present moment because it’s the only one I have, and it slips away with every second I live.

I believe every moment can be considered fulfilling and lived to fullest - if I make it that way. Every second of existence is beautiful and something to be grateful for. 

Every second makes up the sum of my life, so if I make every second special and cherish it (aka feel happy I get to live it and appreciate the experience), then my whole life becomes saturated in “happiness”. 

I make every moment count - that’s how I live a happy life.

What does happiness mean to you? What do you do to live a happy life?