How to Be Happy

There was once a man named Liam who seemed to have everything: a stable job, a warm apartment, and a circle of friends who admired him. But happiness—true, soul-deep happiness—always seemed like a fleeting cloud that passed over him without soaking in. Every morning he woke up, brushed his teeth, poured his coffee, and went through the motions of life. But his heart often felt heavy, like it carried something too complex to describe.

That changed one rainy Sunday when Liam walked into a cozy bookstore tucked between two bakeries on a quiet street in Edinburgh. He had no purpose that day, just a need to escape the drizzle and the boredom gnawing at his insides. He browsed titles lazily, touching the edges of paperbacks like they might whisper something comforting. And then, she walked in.

Ella.

She wasn’t flashy or loud. She wore a yellow raincoat, her curls frizzy from the moisture, her cheeks pink from the cold. She glanced at Liam, gave a slight smile, and headed toward the poetry section. He watched her from between the shelves. Something about her seemed... light. Like she carried joy in her pocket and gave some away just by existing.

He didn’t speak to her that day. But fate would not let it end there.

A week later, they met again at a local open mic night. She read a poem about loneliness, and Liam felt the air shift. Her words painted the emptiness in his chest. He clapped the loudest when she finished. After the show, he introduced himself. Their conversation lasted hours. They talked about favorite books, worst heartbreaks, the kind of music that makes you cry even when you’re happy.

For the first time in years, Liam felt something different. Not just attraction—but peace. A strange, thrilling kind of calm.

Their bond deepened over months. Ella taught Liam how to slow down, to appreciate the color of the sky at 7:12 p.m., the scent of a new book, the warmth of a hand resting silently in another. They hiked together, cooked together, danced barefoot in the kitchen. She made lists of things they loved—like old jazz records, mint tea, or the way her cat snored.

But life has a way of testing us when we least expect it.

Ella was diagnosed with a rare autoimmune disease. At first, it was manageable. She joked about it, saying she would become "that girl in the rom-com with a tragic illness." But over time, the hospital visits increased, the laughter thinned, and the weight of uncertainty grew heavier.

Liam stayed by her side. Every step. Through medication side effects, sleepless nights, and moments of silent fear. He didn’t leave. He couldn’t.

And through that pain, something remarkable happened.

They discovered a deeper layer of happiness. It wasn’t built on grand adventures or romantic dinners. It came from watching the sun rise from a hospital window, from the way Liam helped brush her hair when her hands trembled, from the silly stories Ella told to distract herself from the pain.

On one particularly rough night, Ella whispered, “I don’t want to be remembered for being sick. I want to be remembered for how I made people feel.”

Liam responded, “You make me feel like I’m home.”

When Ella passed away a year later, Liam was devastated—but not broken.

He mourned, yes. He cried for weeks. But then he started to live as Ella had taught him. Slowly, gently. He began volunteering at the bookstore where they met. He picked up photography and started capturing little moments of joy: a child laughing in the park, a couple holding hands, an old man feeding birds.

He even started writing—stories about Ella, about loss, about healing. His words touched others who were searching for happiness in their own pain.

Years passed. Liam never forgot Ella. He never stopped loving her. But he did find happiness again. A quieter, more resilient kind.

He learned that happiness isn’t something you chase or force. It’s something you notice. It’s in the way a flower tilts toward the sun, in a shared smile with a stranger, in remembering someone who loved you so well that even their absence feels like a gift.

So how do you be happy?

You start by letting yourself feel everything. The good, the hard, the in-between. You open yourself to love—even if it doesn’t last forever. You cherish the small moments. You forgive yourself. And above all, you keep going.

Because happiness doesn’t come from having a perfect life.

It comes from finding the beauty in an imperfect one.

Note:
This story was created with the assistance of AI (ChatGPT), then manually edited for originality, accuracy, and alignment with Vocal Media’s guidelines.

Now your turn:
Have you ever found happiness in the most unexpected place? Or has someone changed your view of life like Ella did for Liam? Share your thoughts and stories—someone out there may need to hear your light.