What is happiness? I am sure if you ask a thousand people, you will get more than a thousand different answers. Some will be glad if they possess lots of money and material wealth, while others will be satisfied with a decent job, a harmonious family or excellent health. However, when you comb through these seemingly variable replies, a constant theme will emerge. That is, happiness is merely a state of mind in which the beholder's desires are perceivably being met.
Being a mind-state, happiness is notably fluidy, and it is kept in a delicate balance. A slight tilting to any other ways will upset this balance, turning blissfulness into sorrow. This is exactly what an old saying philosophizes: "Extreme happiness breeds tragedy, and vice versa". In the long history of human development, there are copious examples that illustrate the transient and fickle relationship between happiness and tragedy.
Let us take a look at a recent story about an American family, and we will see how a happy beginning can easily develop a tragic finale if one fails to maintain a balanced state of mind. After winning one of biggest lotto prizes a few years ago, an American old man gave his highschool-aged granddaughter tons of money. With this money, his granddaughter lost her interest in study and her will to work. She rented an apartment herself and stayed there day and night drinking and becoming a drug addict, and ultimately a walking corpse. In a way, because his granddaughter lacked a balanced mindset, money failed to give her innocent life a happy outcome.
It is therefore patently clear that the secret for happiness lies in finding a way to maintain a balanced state of mind. For example, if you are not well off, you can always be thankful for having a great health. In addition, when you realize that there are many more people in the world who are in an even worse financial state than you, you become more or less happy instantly. In other words, keep your mind open, be thankful for what you have got, and work toward what you are lacking, you will be a happy person everyday.
