Everything that has a beginning must also have an ending. This applies to life, (mental and emotional) states, moods, emotions. Anything that comes into existence will also cease to exist at some point in time. We are born, we live, we die. We feel hungry, we eat, we feel satisfied.

We all search for happiness, but what exactly is happy?

Rich, Poor or Otherwise......... When we're born into this world, we have no concept of the world around us. We have yet to limit ourselves and our experiences by using words, definitions and protocols. To us a chair is not a chair. The object has shape, structure, a certain feel, but it's not a chair. We don't even know what a chair is. Yet we feel and explore it. Climb, use it to stand up, push it around the room. Heck, we may even use it to sit on!

And then, at some point: enter conventions. Not knowing any better our parents will start to teach us. And thus this amazing object with countless possibilities becomes A Chair. Why? Well, simply because we have agreed somewhere in the past to call it that and - what's more - we have agreed that its purpose is to sit on it. And so, from this day forward we perceive almost anything with four legs and a back as being A Chair.

And this is what we will be doing for quite some time. We'll be limiting ourselves by conventions that may differ per community. Rich and poor are relative terms. Being born in a working class, pretty well paid family rich for a long time referred to those earning big money. Millionaires and the likes. Children of welfare mothers had of course a different perception of rich.

Along with the common projection of Things we will also be taught what to want for in life. For many people, including my parents, there is an ideal picture of life. And many people cling to that picture. A decent job with proper payment, a spouse, a house, kids and preferably two cars on the driveway. The closer you get to your own ideal (which is fed, but not completely created by your upbringing), the closer you are to happiness. Happiness is something to achieve. It doesn't just come to you served on a silver platter. You'll have to work, invest (time, energy, determination) in order to reap.

There is Happy and there is happy. The happy is transitory. I feel a glint of happiness when I know that somebody is inspired or comforted by my actions or words. I feel happy seeing the look on the face of my loved one when her sons and I are having fun. Those feelings come and go.

And then there's Happy. As the request puts it: How do we know when our lives are really fulfilled or whole? To be honest, I don't know yet. But I do have the feeling that I am on my way. The more I can do for and mean to others without expecting anything in return, the better I feel. At the end of the day I think one will be Happy if one has the feeling that life has meant something, has been a journey of continuous learning and improving. Or, putting it a bit more dramatically: Happiness is having lost the Ego.