The Causes of My Happiness

I am doing the exercise on Pg 32 of Happiness by Mattieu Ricard.

I am happy when my kids do well in school. I am happy when they are obedient and listen. I am happy when I have meals with them every time. Wait a minute! Maybe not. This afternoon at Crystal Jade, B3 was giving me trouble and I was not so happy. Dinner time, we have a conversation on B2's choice for his Secondary 3. It was a productive conversation. So I am happy. I am happy to just do grocery shopping with my wife. I am happy just to share simple meal like nasi lemak with my wife. I am happy to just lie at the poolside to read and learn. I am happy when my team members perform well at work. I am happy when my instructions are followed. I am very happy to browse at any large bookstores especially Kino, Borders or MPH. I am happy to read newspaper in the morning with my teh halia. I am happy to read and read. I am happy to surf the internet and write my blog. I am happy to ride bicycle for exercise. I am happy to work hard and keep my Customers happy. I am very happy to grow our business. I am happy to teach and coach. I am happy to eat good hamburger. I am happy to barbeque food and entertain my sisters and my nieces and nephews. I am happy to feed my fishes and lobsters. I am happy to catch lobsters from the reservoir. I am happy to earn enough for my family. I am happy to be alive and well. I am happy to have good friends and colleagues. I am happy to travel and experience all the bookstores of the Asia:) There are many things for me to be happy about.

Is my happiness derived mainly from outer circumstances? How much is due to my state of my mind and the way I experience the world?

Ricard is French. I am not sure what does "outer circumstances" mean. My pleasures are simple. In broad categories, books and reading, family, business and work, and exercise. I would submit that most of my pleasures are external. Reading and exercise would be internal.