They say money can’t buy happiness, and most would agree that this is true.

If money isn’t the currency of happiness, what is?

I was contemplating this today, and it occurred to me that perhaps the currency of happiness is… well, happiness.

This makes happiness itself is a currency. Like money, it is exchanged, as well as created.

Exchanging happiness.

It is well known in psychology that humans tend to mirror each other. When two people interact, and one person presents happiness, the other person tends to respond with happiness.  As a result, happiness gets exchanged.

With each smile we give and receive, we exchange happiness. With each hug we give and receive, we exchange happiness.  And with each kiss we give and receive, we exchange happiness.

Creating happiness.

Similar to money, the more happiness that is exchanged in the world, the more happiness there actually seems to be in the world.

However, when it comes to creation, there is a big difference between happiness and money. The difference is that we can create happiness.

Let me repeat that again: we can create happiness.

Don’t you wish that you could snap your fingers, and money would appear? Well, you can’t do that with money, but you can with happiness.

Just flash a smile at a stranger. Go and give a friend (or a stranger) a hug. Or turn around and give your significant other a kiss. Just do it, and watch: you have created happiness from nothing.

Accumulating happiness different than accumulating money.

You can’t create money, but you can create something of value, trade it for money, and then continue to exchange, invest, or save the money.

However, you can create happiness. And because of that, you are literally sitting on the Federal Reserve of happiness.

All you have to do it create it, and exchange it with others.

There are those who sit around waiting for others to exchange happiness with them, and then there are those who create happiness and actively exchange it with others. It isn’t surprising that the latter tends to better at accumulating happiness.

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(Photo credit: freefever.com)

P.S. This is post number #31 in a 100 day blogging challenge. See you tomorrow!

Follow me on Twitter @alexshye.

Do you like to ponder life and happiness? You might like my current project: Soulmix.