Posted by The key to happiness is different for each individual. Some people may find happiness in being outdoors, while others are happiest inside. Some find happiness in being alone, while others want to be surrounded by people. Usually one find happiness in doing things they enjoy or are passionate about.
I often get asked the questions, ” what do you like to do?” or “what do you do for fun?”
Most of the time my answer is pretty common or trivial. I enjoy hanging out with friends, going to the movies, and reading a good book. Those things all make me happy and help relieve stress. But what is it that truly fills one’s soul with joy? Humans are often at their happiest while they are helping others. I greatly enjoy giving back to communities and seeing positive change take place due to my actions. It makes me feel accomplished and righteous. I love helping other people and hearing their gratitude. But what truly makes me feel exuberant is helping animals.
I have always felt a special connection to animals. Whenever I am going through a difficult time in life, animals have always brought me sense of calm. Not everyone feels a strong connection to animals. I have come to realize this throughout my life, as not everyone values animals in the same way I do. To me they are even more than just an animal, pet, or family member. I feel as though they become part of my soul. I know this may sound a bit dramatic or exaggerated, but I truly do feel a very deep connection with animals. Often, I am able to connect with animals that do not connect with many other people. I am able to easily handle animals with behavioral issues that have simply gone through a lot in life. I tend to have an understanding of these animals and what they need to feel safe.
Because of this connection, helping animals in need makes me happier than anything else I’ve experienced in life. The feeling I get when I see an animal that has been beaten, starved, and tossed away like trash learn to finally trust again is truly amazing. It’s indescribable the amount of joy that fills my heart when I see an animal who has been through so much recover from their trauma and find a loving home. It brings me to tears (the happy kind) when I see animals that have been greatly mistreated by humans still begging to be loved. I volunteer my time, money, and energy to helping these animals with no desire to ever receive anything in return, except love. They make me a better person. They have taught me what true unconditional love means, how to be resilient, and how to overcome the most difficult of times in life while remaining optimistic. Not everyone will understand why I am so passionate about helping animals, but it is what fills my heart with joy and makes me deeply happy.
I think it is important for everyone to have at least one thing in life that makes them feel this way. For my brother, he truly loves rock climbing, hiking, and exploring the world. I think it makes him feel more alive and fills him with a feeling of thrill, but also a true feeling of happiness. The key to true, deep happiness is different for everyone, but it is important to find what it is for you and never put that key in someone else’s hands. No matter how difficult life gets or how beaten down you feel, you should always be able to go back to this one thing in order to find joy in life and the motivation to continue on.
Olivia Bohrer 