Happiness

I use StumbleUpon and today I stumbled into this site: The Happiness Project. It looked like fun, so here's my happiness interview. =)

1. How do you define happiness?
Happiness to me is more than just a feeling. It's peace, contentment and a physical sensation of well-being. It's doing good things and making a difference. It's knowing all is right within yourself and with your surroundings.

2. On a scale of 1 to 10, how would you rate your happiness now verses when you were a child?
My childhood was varied in happiness. Up until I was 4, I'd say an 8. From 4-14, I'd have to go with a 2 or lower. After 14, it would be a 7 or 8 again. Adulthood has also been a mix, but to average it out, I'd say a 7.

3. What do you do on a daily basis that brings you happiness? (and how consistent is the feeling of happiness throughout your day?)
On school days, I wake Helena up with kisses and tickles, which makes us both pretty happy. I clean the house, which brings a feeling of satisfaction. While satisfaction isn't exactly happiness, it's close. I play with Ollie, I talk with Matt. The consistency varies, it depends on my interactions with others and the way I feel upon waking. Sometimes I just wake up "on the wrong side of the bed."

4. What things take away from your happiness? What can be done to lessen their impact or remove them from your life?
The way I'm treated by others has a direct effect on my happiness. If someone around me is in a bad mood or is rude to me, it has a drastic impact on my mood for the rest of the day. There isn't much I can do about it, honestly. It's so deeply ingrained into my being that it would be a complete change of personality to adjust it.

5. What do you plan on doing in the future that will bring you even more happiness?
Finding a job that is more satisfying would be beneficial, I'm sure. However, in the current economy, those are hard to come by. I wand to go back to school and earn my degree. Buying a house eventually, gaining a better self image.

So, if you want to participate, here's the link: Happiness Project Guidelines