Reaching exponential happiness is undoubtedly the most essential goal in our lives. Everyone is in their own pursuit of happiness hoping to find the fuel that can keep them happy. During my own exploration of happiness, I had stumbled upon a book titled Man’s Search for Meaning written by Victor Frankl. The following quote put me in utter chaos as it defied everything I had believed in regarding happiness:

“For success, like happiness, cannot be pursued; it must ensue, and it only does so as the unintended side-effect of one's personal dedication to a cause greater than oneself…Happiness must happen, and the same holds for success: you have to let it happen by not caring about it…. It is the very pursuit of happiness that thwarts happiness.”

So, I shouldn’t look for happiness? This quote sparked a long train of thought regarding what it means to be “happy.” Or better yet, what it means to “stay in the state of happiness.” When I get what I want, I am happy. But, does that last? Actually, no, because having gotten what I wanted, I simply move onto the next thing on my list of “wants.” According to this process, then, happiness for me is “obtaining what I want” but that does not necessarily prolong my happy state. Using Frankl’s explanation of happiness, my state of happiness when it is based on getting what I want always remained temporary because it was not the product of a meaningful process. In other words, simply satisfying individual needs and wants does not guarantee a lasting state of happiness. What I had gained as a result of having what I wanted was satisfaction, not happiness. As pointed out by Frankl, sustainable happiness is achieved as a result of a process that is much more meaningful.

This reflection pushed me to consider what I find meaningful in my life. What gives meaning to my existence? I began to list them and realized that all of them were self-less processes of helping others: being there for my family when they need me, conducting research to make teaching and learning goals more attainable, scaffolding students to help them realize their potentials, and being part of a team that help pre-service teachers achieve their goals. What is ironic is that theses processes do not always make me happy. But the fact that I am the only one who can play that particular part and be responsible for my existence keeps me going and eventually leads me to sustainable happiness.

Having gone through this train of thought sparked by Frankl’s philosophy of happiness, I realized that there is more to life than seeking mere satisfaction. Rather than pursuing what satisfies me or happy at the moment, I should decipher what is meaningful in my life for, according to Frankl, human beings are the only living organism endowed with the freedom to search for meaning in life. He also claims that, when the person “knows the ‘why’ for his existence, [he] will be able to bear almost any ‘how’.” This take on life completes my happiness equation.