Everyone wants happiness it seems. And right now dammit! I read a study the other day that said almost 70 percent of 1000 people polled placed happiness as being more important than money. I would venture a guess that the 30 percent were "Baby Boomers" and the 70 percent were "Gen Yers" but I may be wrong. So what is happiness exactly? How do you measure it? Is it a constant state of euphoria? A feeling of giddiness? Or could it be as simple as a piece of good chocolate melting on your tongue?
Martin Seligman, a psychologist, claims there are three types of happiness.
-Pleasant Life: Pleasures and instant gratification.
-Good Life: Getting the things you want and desire.
-Meaningful Life: Belonging to and serving in something larger and more worthwhile than just your own pleasures and desires. He states that authentic happiness combines all three aspects and culminates into the Full Life or a life that satisfies all criteria of happiness. His website features two exercises you can do to increase your happiness with long term effect.
1. Three Good Things in Life: In this exercise, before bed you write down three things that went well for you that day and also what caused those things to go well. Do this everyday for a week. I say if you see an improvment carry on. You could also work on a daily gratitude list.
2. Pick out your 5 top strengths. He calls them signature strengths. They could be honesty, teamwork, enthusiasm, humility, optimism.. yadayadayada.. you get it. After you identify your top five, you select one of them every day and intentionally implement that strength that day.
As far as I can tell though, much more proof is in the fact that serving others in some way with no thought of repayment will lead to more happiness than anything. So where are you thinking of experimenting with this? What greater good will you expend some energy on? Is it all hocus-pocus? I personally am going for another piece of chocolate while I think about it. Now go! Be Happy! Get some sunshine!
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