Happiness

I've been thinking about happiness recently. Pastor Jodi has been doing a series of messages on happiness at our Thursday night Downtown Venues. 

And so I've been wondering...

Do you think we've lowered our standard of happiness to include just being satisfied?
Is there enough societal pressure put on us to be happy that we are ashamed not to be happy and feel like we need to say we are -- even if we're not?
Is not being happy the same thing as being unhappy?

I feel like there is a stigma attached to not being happy like there is to being depressed or anxious.
Am I wrong about that?
Why have we made it so that it's not okay not to be happy?

Not being happy doesn't mean there is something wrong with you or with your life. I think we need to stop thinking of happiness as a goal and simply recognize it as a momentary state of being.
Researchers find that finding happiness often involves enduring considerable time of discomfort. 
Well maybe I don't want to experience that discomfort and I'm happy to remain comfortable!

So...
Are you happy?
Really? 

I just want to say -- It is okay if you're not.
But then again, I'm no expert. I'm just a guy that is okay without having to always be happy.
What do you think?

John