Happiness is

How often are children encouraged to imagine the future, to project where they will be in five years, or ten years, to set goals and make plans for achieving those goals?

I assume there is great value in these things, but I don't believe they really make people happy, in the truest sense.

Happiness comes in a moment, a fleeting moment when a smile breaks across your face, perhaps a shudder shivers down your back and your stomach floods with a warmth equal to that full tummy feeling infants have when they drift off to sleep in their parent's arms.

A life filled with contentment and peace, sprinkled with joyful moments like stars in the sky comes from everyday life. It is the satisfaction of a job well done, a creation well made. It comes from seeing the faces around you wide eyed with awe, or teary with emotions spilling over when words are not enough. It is learning to find what you need where you are.

That doesn't mean not planning for the future. It only means that the future is tomorrow and you must find meaning in today if you want to recognize it tomorrow.