Trying to define happiness is near impossible.

Everyone has a different view on it. There is a vast number of answers I could give:
Love, friendship, success, peace of mind, seeing the sunrise every morning.

When it comes to homesteading, not life in general, I believe happiness is in
Personal Accomplishment.

It's knowing that every meal was cooked by you and provided from your garden. That every animal is well taken care of and protected. That the front porch you stepped out on was built by your hands.

Homesteading gives me a real sense of ownership and pride. Not just from the success, but also the mistakes and hardships.

I mean, you can't fully appreciate that home-cooked meal until you've experienced not having much to eat, whether from a crop problem or lack of income. You can't be immensely proud of that porch you build until you've messed up on it too many times to count.

And you can't love that perfectly comfortable compost toilet until you've squatted over a dang bucket of pine shavings for several months or more.

What I am getting at is that when I say personal accomplishment, I don't just mean the victories. I mean the entire journey building up to the final product as well.

And what's great about homesteading is, the opportunities for accomplishment never end. So in turn, happiness will never end.

-'The Dancer'