“The challenges we face in life can be compared to a tall mountain, rising before a mountain climber. For someone who has not trained properly, whose muscles and reflexes are weak and slow, every inch of the climb will be filled with terror and pain. The exact same climb, however, will be a thrilling journey for someone who is prepared, whose legs and arms have been strengthened by constant training. With each step forward and up, beautiful new views will come into sight.” Daisaku Ikeda

Happiness is not a life without problems; it’s a life in where we develop the strength to overcome the problems that come our way. It is impossible to lead a problem free life, for even the newborn infant, or the lazy cat has their own set of problems and challenges. 

Although problems may be unavoidable, how we choose to experience them and react to each one ultimately depends on us. Our vitality - the amount of energy or "life-force" we have - is in fact the single most important factor in determining whether or not we are happy.

True happiness is something we are all born with, it lies deep within our hearts, it does not exist on some far side of some distant mountain, or in a beach house on some tropical island. However much you try, you can never run away from yourself.  Those who are weak will find that suffering follows them everywhere they go, you cannot reach your inner happiness if you do not challenge your weaknesses and change yourself from the inside out. Happiness is found within the dynamism and energy of our own life, and as we continuously struggle to overcome obstacle after obstacle, we strengthen our life force, that is why those who live actively and free from free are truly happy. 

It has been said there are two types of happiness; - "relative" and "absolute" happiness .  Relative happiness relates to that which is outside of ourselves such as friends, work, family, income, it is what we feel when a certain desire is fulfilled , or something we have longed for is obtained. While the happiness such things bring us is certainly real, the fact is that none of this lasts forever. The universe is constantly changing, things change, people change, therefore this type of happiness often shatters easily when external conditions alter.  Absolute happiness on the other hand is something we must search for within ourselves. It requires establishing a state of life in which we are never defeated by life’s circumstances, and just being alive is a source of our greatest joy. This persists no matter what we might be lacking, or what might happen around us. A deep sense of joy is something which can only exist in the innermost reaches of our life, and which cannot be destroyed by any external forces. It is eternal and inexhaustible.

This kind of satisfaction is to be found in consistent and repeated effort, so that we can say, "Today, again, I did my very best. Today, again, I have no regrets. Today, again, I won." The accumulated result of such efforts is a life of great victory. Do not compare yourself against others; rather compare ourselves against who we were yesterday, who we strive to be tomorrow. Although this may seem simple and obvious, true happiness is found in a life of constant advancement. And the same worries that could have made us miserable can actually be a source of growth when we approach them with courage and wisdom.