Journalled on Tuesday, 12 August 2025 | Santo Cristo, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil: 22 degrees, warm, sunny, and slightly overcast.

It is Tuesday, and I am feeling well.

I am living in a relatively good place. The weather is pleasant, I exercise every day, I have money in my bank account, and my daughters are well and leading their lives to the best of their abilities.

I walk regularly; my main work, the classes, are going well, and I believe my pupils are happy with the service I provide. Additionally, I am investing in the future through my blog and YouTube channel.

But…

Am I happy? And is it truly important to be happy? Modern society and social media promote this idea of happiness like a television commercial for margarine or Coca-Cola.

I am concluding that maybe happiness in itself is not as big a deal as it is often made out to be. Of course, we would all like to be happy, and experiencing happiness at a particular time, moment or event in our lives is very welcome and rewarding.

To say or expect that we can be happy all the time can be quite silly and foolish, almost illusory, to say the least, but we talk about, think about and receive about it all the time.

What else is there besides the desire to be happy? What can a company it, or even replace it, rather than just the question of happiness, as society throws it at us 24/7?

Maybe happiness can be understood by explaining it through a different composition, one of the three principal factors:

Enjoyment

Satisfaction

Meaning

Enjoyment

Enjoyment in what we do is a form of happiness: our work, our contact with family and a partner, a hobby, or the small things in life that please us. Whether it is your work, travelling, or doing exercise, the possibilities are endless. If you know what gives you enjoyment, it becomes easy to practise and receive it.

I personally enjoy exercise, journaling, video editing, writing, blogging, giving classes, walking, spending time with my daughters, being with people I admire and appreciate, my solitude and alone time, watching, and helping others.

I enjoy observing, feeling, and even tasting the simplest things in life; what might seem insignificant to one person can bring me unique pleasure and joy.

I also find great joy in expressing my appreciation to others. Whenever I get the opportunity, it gives me an inexplicable burst of happiness, and it is simple.

Satisfaction

Satisfaction, or being satisfied with whatever we do in our lives, is truly amazing. The satisfaction we should feel with ourselves, individually speaking, is quite hard to achieve, as we are often harder on ourselves than on others. Because of this, we overlook our positive qualities and focus only on our negative ones.

Satisfaction with ourselves and what we do is probably one of the most precious gifts life can give us, and it is also something that no one can or should take away from us; it is ours, and its worth stays with us, not with anyone else, and that is really quite precious.

Self-satisfaction is clearly tied to self-worth. If we are good at something, we have mastered it to the best of our abilities; no one else has done it as we have. They may have helped, and that is part of the path; it does not necessarily have to be done alone. To be satisfied, especially in the present moment, is sublime.

I am satisfied with myself for learning and uploading over 100 videos in such a short period. I am satisfied with the improvement and evolution of my blog posts. I am also satisfied with the results of regular exercise over the last couple of years. I am also satisfied that my daughters are good people who are aware of right and wrong.

I am also satisfied with myself that I have been a reasonably good and present father and ex-husband, and I take pride in the fact that my daughters have received a good education from good people, which has helped them become good people too.

And finally, I’m satisfied that I am alive, well, and healthy, both physically and mentally. My life is not bad; far from it, it is quite good. Besides being satisfied, I’m grateful for it.

Meaning

Having meaning in our lives contributes to happiness. We require meaning to experience enjoyment and satisfaction; without it, we cannot support, guarantee, maintain, or uphold the first two.

My work gives me meaning. In the past, I did not appreciate it as much, but when I saw how much it has influenced, improved, and helped others achieve their goals, its value became clear.

We need meaning and purpose to get up and face life’s challenges every day. Life can be brutal at times, and without purpose, it becomes a confined cell at the bottom of a dungeon, making escape extremely difficult.

Power lies in understanding ourselves and cultivating self-awareness, which reveals what brings us joy and what leaves us dissatisfied. As this becomes clearer and more focused, we become stronger and more confident. As a result, meaning, enjoyment, and satisfaction are significantly amplified.

A circle that, instead of spiralling down, spirals up through the influences of meaning, enjoyment and satisfaction.

My daughters give me meaning; living in Brazil gives me meaning; my English history and background give me meaning; writing blog entries gives me meaning; journaling gives me meaning; and the classes certainly give me meaning.

So, it is neither rocket science nor brain surgery to be kind to ourselves and to feel good in our lives. Perhaps happiness comes from three factors: enjoyment, satisfaction, and meaning. To excel in these areas, we should also add a touch of simplicity.

A general, rough, and perhaps unfair rule of thumb is that simplicity is important to understand. If it isn’t, it doesn’t mean it’s bad, but it can lead to confusion and stress and diminish your tranquillity. So, it is your choice whether whatever is complex or complicated in your life is worth sacrificing your peace for.