Happiness

Webster's defines happiness as...oh who are we kidding no one defines words using Webster's anymore.

Wikipedia defines happiness as a state of mind or feeling characterized by contentment, love, satisfaction, pleasure, or joy.

As I ring in the New Year I can't help but reminisce on the past year and my accomplishments or as it turns out my carryovers to 2011. Being that 2010 was the first New Year of my actual 30s I had learned in my 3 decades on this earth I really didn't do well without clearly defined and measurable goals.

Such as my goal in 2009 (notice my use of the word goal and not resolution as that word bothers me for a reason I have yet to completely define) to be happy. Since I wasn't unhappy, as I had yet to cut my wrist, I figured my new adult goal should maybe work more with the components of happiness rather than the overall state of mind. So, I chose the most important one to me at the time, LOVE.

Love is an emotion of strong affection and personal attachment, according to our good friend Wiki. Since it had been 5 years between my last at bat with love I figured it was long overdue. So how does one accomplish this goal in 2010? Why Match dot com of course. While I am quite shy and, as I have learned through this experience, kind of boring compared to others this was the only way I knew to make a solid effort in my attempt at LOVE.

Turns out, not that great of an effort! After a few short phrases in an email and a couple of mind numbing phone calls, I agreed to go on actuals dates or as I like to call them outings with these...men. I've never spent so many hours wishing I could find a family emergency to get to. Talking about their cars, their hobbies, their diseases, their likes and dislikes. Is this really what this has come to? ...and yes, I said diseases... I don't care that you favorite color is blue. That is not going to score you a date. Neither will the fact that you drive a beamer that you most likely lease and spend way to much money on. Or...that you had cancer and had one ball removed. Now although the cancer thing did get the sympathy vote from me, seeing as how I am not completely heartless, it's not fair to play that card on the first date! It's nearly impossible to know someone or even know if someone is worth investing time and effort into, let alone like or love in such few encounters. Unfortunately for this guarded heart gal it is even that much harder to be waived through and I just don't have that much free time.

So as I look back and see that I actually did find someone to spend most of my 2010 with (no thanks to you Match) I'm deciding that love is really not the most important thing to me after all. You can be happy without love. Happiness, although isn't measured through conventional methods, can be measured by internal barometers. Did I laugh more than I cried? Did I make positive memories that will last me a lifetime? Did i make it through with more achievements than regrets?

2010...you were a great year. I hope you have set the precedent for 2011.