On Happiness

True happiness is acceptance and appreciation of everything.
It is the absence of hatred, envy, and desire, and a detachment from expectation.

I desire love, acceptance, fun, mercy... and I am 'happy' becuase I am blessed with these things, at least for now. But this 'happiness' is very unstable, because it loses ground as soon as I am denied of my desires; they have a potential to turn my life into 'unhappiness'.
Both 'happiness' and 'unhappiness' derive from others. I am living in a 'human' relation, where I basically compare myself to others and shape my values and ideas in response to others.

'Happiness' and 'unhappiness' are always in relation with others;
If I cannot get what I desire, desire will turn to envy and ultimately to hatred. How happy is a life of hatred and anger?

Even if current desires are met, new desires will arise, and I will be locked in a cycle of desire. I desire in hopes of gaining 'happiness', but it would inevitably lead to 'unhappiness'.
So maybe I should put a brake on the cycle of desire. I will say: I am content with the life I have now, and I desire no more.

But the world is always changing, and the 'happy' life that I am leading may suddenly be reversed. Death of others, for example. Or the loss of objects that give me 'happiness'.
I expect the world to be the same tomorrow though. I expect to wake up to see my parents, go to school, talk to friends, run down bakayama and say "what a great day it is!" However, when my expectations, the source of my 'happiness', are betrayed, I will no doubt be plunged into a pit of 'unhappiness'.
Because of this instability, 'happiness' that is reliant on others is a fragile flower.

Happiness that is innate is then accepting and appreciating the world as it is. It is liberation from desire, expectation, and 'human' relations. It is embracing change and not comparing but being one with others.

In that sense, I cannot say that I am truly happy.