The Key to Happiness

Everyone has their own key to happiness. The trick is to find out what your key is.

For some, the key is money or power or fame. For others, faith and spirituality unlock happiness and peace of mind. And still others have more unusual keys.

I have a friend for whom Peeps is the combination for complete contentment. Another friend uses shopping – for anything – to unlock happiness. Another friend simply needs to look at her kids to turn her key to joy.

My key to happiness is laughter and a sense of humor. When I am faced with the road bumps of life, I try to use humor to keep my perspective intact. Sometimes it works, sometimes not. Sometimes it takes gallows humor to pull me out of the dark abyss. Sarcasm is often like a skeleton key. It fits any situation.

As I look at my children, and I see how they cope with the ups and downs, I realize my daughter has embraced my key and taken it as her own. Well, there is yet another way that she is just like me. Her sense of sarcasm is even sharper than mine sometimes (YIKES!), but I think it has strengthened our bond. She often says that nobody gets her like I do…and vice versa. For my son, it seems that his key to happiness is sports. Any time, any place, any sport…it takes him out of his problems and provides a different path for his mind to follow.

It’s interesting to me that the keys change often. While humor is my skeleton key, I find happiness is in the simple things as well. A quiet morning on the patio with a good cup of coffee. Finding the perfect gift for someone on my first try. Spending an entire Sunday afternoon reading a good book.

Let’s do a little sociology experiment to see what else unlocks happiness. What is your key to happiness?  Post your thoughts in the comments section.