Happiness.

"Happiness... a little more like knockin'... on your door... if you just let it in..."

-The Fray

"Happiness"

Album: The Fray

If you are suffering from a mental illness, then happiness comes and goes like waves depending on whether or not your brain chemistry will allow it. But let this not dishearten you.

You don't need to wait for your brain all the time.

Some people have the capacity to smile broadly just because they are invited to smile in obligation to meeting someone. You can try it wherever you are, smiling.

There it is. Knocking on your door. Will you allow yourself to be happy?

This isn't the existential question of "am I happy with my life and the people in it?" It isn't "am I happy with my gardener for ruining my white roses?" No. It's simple: Will you smile?

If you are not suffering from an illness that has you laughing obscenely at jokes you come up with for yourself, then you might be prone to a little laughter here and there. I invite you to enjoy it. It isn't here every day.

That's right. Happiness is fleeting. For example; it is impossible to laugh when a loved one passes, or when breakups happen. But happiness is still waiting. Like your phone is waiting to ring. Like a book is waiting to be read. Happiness is waiting to see you smile.

An interesting note here: the seven basic facial expressions include a genuine smile. A smile that gives you crows feet at the corners of your eyelids. A smile that, if you are lucky enough to reach middle age, will show just how many smiles you've enjoyed with the wrinkles from it. No, not all wrinkles are wrong for the face. These signs of character are the most important to gain over your years.

So give us a smile. A genuine one. No one likes a fake.