My Understanding of Happiness

And how I gained perspective from running

Most of the summer in 2019 I spent contemplating what it meant to be happy. All the other previous summers weren’t as introspective. For this reason I can say summer of 2019 was one of the best and most memorable summers I have ever had.

It all began when I started getting into running. Let’s rewind back to October of 2018. My sister spontaneously signed me up for the DC Wonder Woman 5k run. She didn’t bother asking me if I was interested in running or if I was even capable of finishing 3.1 miles. She simply told me we were going to run together and I didn’t even get to think twice about it.

Keep in mind,

I was not a runner. I dreaded running the mile in PE in both middle and high school. I didn’t play any sports and I wasn’t very athletic. If I struggled running one mile in PE, how did I think I was going to complete 3.1 miles? I can recall walking many of my miles in middle school and receiving the slowest time because many of my peers chose to run.

I was surprised to find out that I had to complete the 5k race within the 1 ½ hour time limit. If I walked a mile in around 20–25 minutes then I would be able to finish the race on time, but that would be cutting it very close.

Race day rolls around and my sister and I excitedly make it to the start line. During that moment I wasn’t sure what to feel or expect because I didn’t train nor did I have any clue of what was going to happen at the race event.

Everything that day was all a surprise to me.

In spite of it all, I did it! I completed my very first 5k race. Later I realized that I ran the entire 3.1 miles without stopping and I even surpassed my sister’s finish time. This entire experience shifted my perspective on my own abilities. I had no idea I was capable of running 3.1 miles without walk breaks because I couldn’t even run a mile at school!

Could it have been the combination of the crowd and energy that boosted my energy levels?

Probably! I definitely think the energy from all of the runners and supporters transmitted excitement through my body and mind. After having experienced both pre and post race, I discovered a new love for running. My mindset completely shifted. From that day on, I started becoming more serious about running and I decided it was something I wanted to invest more of my time into.

Throughout the summer of 2019, I successfully completed three half marathons.

I put a lot of time into training and being outdoors. I learned that running was an easy way for me to clear my mind and it also helped with organizing my thoughts to gain clarity. I noticed my overall energy levels were higher and I felt happier.

Prior to running daily, I couldn’t recall another moment where I felt the exact prolonged feeling of joy and happiness than being on a run. Was I happy because I received endorphins from my run? That could have been the case, but I think my overall mindset shift contributed significantly to my overall wellbeing. While growing up I remember being always told to find what makes me happy. I wasn’t taught that happiness was a feeling and not a destination.

“Our culture is obsessed with defining happiness.”³

We go through life encountering different people and experiences that influence our understanding of happiness. Although I can say that receiving “too much” insight can oftentimes distort our own perspective, I think it’s important to remember “the ultimate source of satisfaction is within ourself.”²

The biggest challenge is unpacking everything to fully reach a place of awareness in ourselves.

With everything surrounding the topic of happiness, it all appears that “happiness seems like this elusive thing.”⁴ Given this, I find happiness to be relative and ambiguous.

I noticed that running was my outlet for reflecting on past experiences in order to become more self-aware and in full control of my own happiness. When I look back on my life during the times when I didn’t take the time to reflect or grasp the importance of finding meaning and defining that for myself, I realized I was missing out on so much. I was holding myself back from living in the present and this was all my choice. I chose to view the world through a fixed lens, rather than exploring multiple.

Going through all of these thoughts about happiness reminds me of the movie Inception. If you’re reading this and haven’t seen the movie I’ll try to not spoil it for you. The whole film is essentially all about perception and the ability to interpret ambiguity. I think this connects well with the topic of happiness because we ultimately all need to be self-aware because if we’re not looking below what’s on the surface, we’ll never truly find satisfaction in our lives.

“We’ve pushed happiness over the cognitive horizon, as a society.”¹

It’s easier for us to outline all of the negative and not give attention to the positive things going on in our lives. I have done this many times. I wish I knew why I let myself think this way. Maybe it was my environment or the media content I was consuming on a daily basis that had a negative influence on me. Regardless of the many possible factors, they all brought me to where I am today.

I can certainly say I’m in a better headspace today than I was a year ago and I’m still learning.

[1] Achor, Shawn. “The Happy Secret to Better Work.” TED, www.ted.com/talks/shawn_achor_the_happy_secret_to_better_work/up-next.

[2] Happiest, The. “Dalai Lama’s Guide to Happiness.” YouTube, YouTube, 8 Oct. 2013, www.youtube.com/watch?v=IUEkDc_LfKQ.

[3] Smith, Emily Esfahani. “There’s More to Life than Being Happy.” TED, www.ted.com/talks/emily_esfahani_smith_there_s_more_to_life_than_being_happy/up-next?language=en#t-408233.

[4] “Why Finland And Denmark Are Happier Than The U.S.” YouTube, YouTube, www.youtube.com/watch?v=6Pm0Mn0-jYU.