In the Pursuit of Happiness
The pursuit of happiness is one that humans have been working toward since the beginning of time. Yet the concept of “happiness” is often hard to accurately define. Living the good life, flourishing, self-actualization, optimism, joy, and purpose are words that come to mind with happiness.
You can’t really measure how happy you are, but you can feel it. You can share your happiness with others and your loved ones, and sometimes you can make them happier as well! But how many can honestly say they are happy in their life?
We seem to always want more. Whenever we achieve something, we feel happy, but the next day we often wake up wanting more. It’s like success and how it’s judged – yet it seems the goal posts keep moving.
It is written in our bill of rights. “We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness."
Three key components of happiness are:
The balance of emotions
Meaning
Relationships
Shawn Achor - Many feel that we live under a tyranny of our genes and environment. For those of us who have had our faith shaken, research has shown that we can change our lives at any time. His research has shown with happiness creativity triples, productivity increases by 31%. 30% more likely to live longer. It seems like this might be something for companies to look into.
Positivity and happiness don’t stop reality from happening and positivity can even become toxic. But rational optimism starts with awareness of what is happening in the moment - Mindfulness. And we can spread it - our nature ‘wirelessly’ spreads to others. There is a myriad of studies that are examples of this. Look up the “Synchronization of Metronomes” or “Dog and Human Hearts Beat Together”. These demonstrate the level that we can expand happiness to others.
Some cause happiness wherever they go; others whenever they go. Oscar Wilde Our happiness or lack of it starts with our thoughts, and proceeds with our words, actions, and presence. As we examine each level of our procedures with Mindfulness, we can create our very nature and influence others immeasurably. We can change ourselves and thereby change others. His is an example of living life to the fullest. Contact me to learn more about the roadblocks to happiness.
