Happiness

Say it ain't so...they've just announced on the weather portion of a news program that summer is indeed over, and we aren't going to get that final heat wave that everyone has been predicting :( But I'm off to Turkey weekend after this one anyway, hee hee, so summer's not over for me!

Anyway, I've read this really interesting article on how happiness can be learned. Some recent studies in the US by psychologists have confirmed what I've definitely heard before. We all tend to associate success in life with monetary gain, whereas apparently we should be measuring a successful life in terms of being able to be cheerful. (Hmm, how many wealthy and/or famous personalities are what you would call happy? I don't know about you all, but fascination with celebrities aside, the people I actually look up to are everyday people I've run across in everyday life or have known for most of my life.) The trouble being, according to this article, some of us set our happiness goals too high, based on family and friends. However, we have the power to change our base level of happiness. These studies have shown that beyond basic needs (food, clothing, shelter), additional wealth and possessions don't actually make people happier. Things that do include family, community, faith/trust in fellow human beings, being married, laughing and smiling, talking to friends, thinking about others more than yourself, and getting out and interacting with people rather than watching TV at home.

Psychologist Martin Seligman says there are three components of happiness: the pleasant life (ex: a good meal), the engaged life (being absorbed with work, relationships, and hobbies), and the meaningful life (using your strengths in the service of others). Surprise surprise, the meaningful life has the most effect on long-term happiness. Helping others makes us feel generous and capable, strengthens our connection to others, and stops us being so self-centered.

So, the idea of learning happiness? Simple, focus on the positives rather than the negatives. Your brain releases feel-good endorphins making you feel good, therefore you feel more positive toward others, and a cycle of happiness begins. A suggestion the article makes is to reflect once a day on everything that makes you feel good, the things you adore, the people you love most in your life, etc. Humm, it's good to know I was onto something--I started using this technique to help with my funk after picking up and moving to a new country on my own. Wish I'd started using it sooner, but it did help when I finally did start "counting my blessings." I think I will definitely keep it up!