Satisfaction > Happiness

Happiness is a wonderful feeling. But it's also a fleeting moment. Much like riding a roller coaster or eating ice cream at the park. It comes and goes like a change in the wind. And more often than not, so many things have to be in alignment to feel happy. You need to be well-rested, free from stress, have the absence of negative emotions, comfortable, stress free, etc., etc. It's the positive feelings we have while in the moment that's heavily tied to our circumstances and our mood.

Satisfaction, on the other hand, you don't need near the same conditions as happiness to feel. Climbing a mountain, for instance, can feel like suffering but feel just as satisfying. Parenting is a difficult job. Most parents I talk to are not very happy day to day. But they are satisfied with a job well done as they watch their kid grow. Satisfaction embraces all the parts of life, taking in to account the ups and the downs. It's the feeling we get when we step back from our life and see the good we are doing. It isn't necessarily tied to pleasure which makes it much different from happiness.

The pursuit of happiness has been engrained in us from an early age. What we need is the pursuit of satisfaction.