Mondays at 3:45 I was supposed to take a class in Introduction to Theories of Learning. I thought the psychology class would give me a little insight into education theories, but obviously others didn't. I got a call on Thursday to inform me that the class was cancelled.

Since I cannot not take a class, I went through the catalogue and picked the only other class offered at the same time. Another psychology course: Pursuing Happiness. Actually it's a mixture of psychology and philosophy. As part of the teacher's survey of the students, he asked us to write our theory of happiness on the back of an index card.

He said that, in his opinion, everyone has a theory on happiness, on what makes someone happy, what we need to do to be happy. He claimed that people develop this very early on and internalize it. So I thought about mine.

I'll tell you what I wrote on the index card. My theory of happiness is that for a person to be happy, first the 'big' things have to be in place. The big things are: health, financial security, physical safety, etc. You might have other big things or consider some of the ones I mention as not important, but this is my list, so I'm talking about mine.

I think that if you're not healthy, it becomes very difficult to appreciate other aspects of life. Yesterday, I threw out my back and have been in acute pain since, and it has overshadowed all other good things in my life.

Assuming the big things are in place, happiness is celebrating the little things. Most major accomplishments take time, so it's crucial to notice and celebrate minor accomplishments. Happiness is noticing details and appreciating life's little delights. Happiness is accepting others as they are. And accepting yourself as you are while trying to better yourself according to your own standards. It's minimizing the stumbling blocks while maximizing the celebrations of good events. Knowing that life is not a means to an end, but a journey.

That's what I wrote, give or take a few words.

I've been thinking about it since the class. What makes people happy? There are fatalistic theories of life is life and we let it work without struggling too much. Then there are others who believe that life is what you make it and you create your own happiness or lack thereof.

Some people say money makes them happy, but often, those people spend their whole life making the money and no time enjoying it. Do they just like to say they have it or are they doing it as a means to an end? The problem with having big goals (like being rich) is that they are often not well defined (how much money exactly) and they take too long to achieve. What makes me happy often is having a sense of self-accomplishment and self-growth, being loved, loving, and being hugged.

I don't exactly know what my theory of happiness is, I'm still working on developing it. Maybe this class isn't going to be so useless after all.

What's your theory of happiness?

Previously? Thirteen.