Happiness can be defined in many ways and the perception of happiness changes from one person to the other. While we all want to be happy in our lives, most of us are obscure about what the term implies. Ever since the dawn of civilization, there have been many attempts to coin the term "Happiness" and the complications involved are countless to date as human minds work in mysterious ways. Tantamount to various descriptions, there are a wide variety of traits which directly and indirectly affect happiness.

Let us dive in and find out some of the characteristics that influence pleasure in one's life. 

• Courage
  What happens when we challenge the default setting of our lives? The answer is pretty simple, we feel spooked. We are all afraid of the ‘Unknown’. We often avoid making the right choices only because we are afraid to lose what we have in our hands at this moment. Fear is the greatest nemesis of happiness. So, if you want to be happy, challenge your situations, get out of your comfort zones and don't let pain stop you from moving forward. 
   
• Patience
   Remember the saying, good things happen for those who wait? Well, that holds true for happiness. While it is true that you don't have to wait to be happy, patience is at most necessary to be content in life. Impatience is a major bully for happiness. After all, we cannot control everything that is happening in our lives. So, breathe and relax. 
   
• Gratitude
  Gratitude is a way of finding light in the darkness, joy in suffering and seeing the good amid the bad. By being grateful our problems don't disappear but it helps to reorganize and retrain our minds in such a way that our problems don't occupy a large chunk of space in our hearts and mind. Life may not always go as we plan but we can always choose how we react to the course of change. 
   
• Love
  Life is just like an eco, whatever goes around comes around. If we love the life we have, it will love us back. The more love you have for your life, the more happy and buoyant your heart will be. Love dismisses the flaws and closes its eyes to oddities. It sets us free.   
   
• Forgiveness
  Nothing in the world is as powerful as the ability to forgive. Forgiving others will take patience and forgiving ourselves will take courage. But in the war against unhappiness, forgiveness plays a major role, without it the battle is lost even before you start it. 

Happiness is not always being successful and success will not always ensure to bring happiness. It is neither a destination you reach after a long journey, nor a prize you get after years-long hard work. It is a process. A journey. Don't go search outside for happiness, pause and look within yourself, and it's there where you will find all the answers.