Many people say they want happiness. Does that mean that they will change their ways to find it! Perhaps not! Desiring an outcome and acting upon it are different things entirely. …and of course we will need to be *aware* and understand what exactly we need to do to make our desires a reality!
Recently, I found a fascinating book on this “The 100 Simple Secrets of Happy People”, and I wanted to give a bit of commentary on a few that I found most interesting:
- “Your Life Has Purpose and Meaning“. Avoiding existential crisis is always a good idea… Niven cites a study of older Americans showing that ‘having a purpose’ is one of the best predictors of happiness. Of course, studies like this cannot tell use *which* purpose is best, this we must define for ourselves…
- “Use a Strategy for Happiness“. You are not fated to be happy or unhappy! Although there may be genetic influence on tendencies to depression, there are many strategies we can all use to increase our happiness. Unhappy people tend to think more about unpleasant events, and things that have gone wrong in their lives. Focusing on the positive isn’t being dishonest with yourself, or delusional. We can recognize negative events from the past without belaboring them and allowing them to unnecessarily impact our current state of being. Choosing to focus on positive events, and learning from them, can enable us to be more happy and productive in the long run…
- “Be a Peacemaker“. Nevin cites a study that the avoidance of problems between loved ones can reduce contentment by 15 percent. Not only will you be impacted by the unhappiness and conflict of others, you might internalize it in the process. If you learn to tolerate and accept the unhappiness and problems with others, you may be more likely to accept that in yourself as well.
- “Pay Attention–You May Have What You Want“. It is ok to have a strong drive for success. However, although creating a new goal is the best way to progress, doing so will stimulate additional unsatisfaction. Of course, this unsatisfaction motivates further action….but we need to enjoy the reward at the end as well! Make sure you use the “carrot” in addition to the “stick” to get from point A to point B in your professional as well as your personal life.
- “Be Open to New Ideas“. Being able to adapt to the circumstances around you will enable you to better take advantages of happiness opportunities that come your way. If you are open to new ideas, you can find more ways to be happy, even if your social or financial surroundings change over time…
Of course, there are 95 more suggestions, all with research support, but I don’t want to go into them here. It would be interesting to build a type of *Exercise schedule* based on this and other research, however…. I believe I just might do that!
I’ll update when I add it as an “Optimize Happiness Activity” to the Products Section… Fun times!
Tags:
activities, happiness, happy, meaning, niven, optimize happiness activity, purpose