The idea of happiness and the exploration of what makes us truly happy has become the theme of my week.

A friend posted this quote on Facebook:

“People confuse the source of their happiness. They become temporarily happy when they get a new car, or a new house, or a new marriage. And they think that they are suddenly happy because of this new thing in their life. In reality, they are happy because for a brief moment, they are without desire. But then soon another desire comes along. And the search continues.”

Another friend posted this article on Facebook — The Minimalists. It’s about living minimally and taking a look at things in our lives to make sure they add value and truly make us happy.

“When we get rid of the superabundance of stuff, we can make room for life’s more important aspects. I can now spend my day focusing on that which is truly important. I don’t own many things, but each of my belongings has a function or brings me joy.

Over time, situations will change. They always do. So I’m forced to ask the same important question over and over again: Does this thing add value to my life? But I don’t just ask this question about material possessions. Stuff was just the start. I ask it too in regard to relationships, Internet consumption, food, and more. I constantly ask because circumstances constantly change. Just because something adds value today, that doesn’t mean it will necessarily add value tomorrow. So I keep asking, and I adjust accordingly.”

Toni Morrison posted this article, Can we find paradise on earth, where she discusses her book Paradise, and how we, as people, have come to define paradise.

And, on the last day of our three-day business conference, Jim Lawless, author of Taming Tigers, was our guest speaker. He talked about how to think differently, banish self-doubt, “tame our tigers,” and be courageous enough to write our own life stories so they take the tracks that we want them to take.

Now, I’m not sure if the connection among all these things is as readily apparent as I think it is, but they all affected me. The idea that we, as humans, are constantly trying to fulfill our desires. It’s what life has become for us. Chasing things that we think will make us happy, always trying to reach our own paradise, but in our daily lives, not really doing much differently, or not doing the things that matter in order to truly reach this elusive happiness.

As unsettling as it is to be in a small apartment, in a different country, without my “things,” it’s also very freeing. Will I be happy when I finally get a bigger apartment and all my things arrive? Of course! I think there is also something to say for the happiness you feel when you feel “settled” and at home. But for now, I’m going to tell myself to embrace the simplicity of life and the happiness that comes with a reduced style of living. To be happy with being content.

Be Content with what you have; rejoice in the way things are. When you realize there is nothing lacking, the whole world belongs to you. -Lao Tzu