How to be Happy: The Scientific Secret to Happiness
Has happiness often managed to elude you?
Scientists are honing in on the secret of how to be happy.
According to the famous Harvard happiness professor Dr. Tal Ben-Shahar, enduring life happiness is not the soaring ecstasy we feel in moments of great triumph in our lives. Those moments are wonderful, but pass quickly.
How can we feel general happiness with our daily lives while acknowledging there are rough spots and painful moments?
Ben-Shahar suggests there are four approaches to life. The first three do not lead to happiness.
- Rat Racer- This person puts their nose to the grindstone for years, even decades, doing things they don’t want to do in order to reach a must-have goal. Trouble is, when the goal is reached, the happiness is often as unsubstantial as cotton candy and gone just as quickly.
- Hedonist- This person may be a partier or a person revolving around physical or temporary pleasures that have no meaning even to them. They don’t think much about tomorrow and have no future goals. Their pleasure is short lived and they may come to feel hollow and empty. They may also have to deal to the negative consequences of these hedonistic pursuits.
- Nihilist- This person does not feel much pleasure or enjoyment in their present life and may not believe they can achieve future goals or that their future will be positive. They have given up on happiness. The Rat Racer and the Hedonist may become Nihilists as they find their approaches do not work. Nihilism can lead to depression and despair.
How do we adopt the Happiness Approach?
In the Happiness approach, you engage in as many pleasurable and meaningful activities as realistically possible while you are acting towards goals that have value and meaning to you. Think present pleasure and enjoyment while engaging in meaning and value for the future.
Now, there is always tedium and unpleasantness sprinkled in our lives, but you want to maximize the pleasurable. And you may not achieve the ultimate goal, but if your current activities are enjoyable and meaningful, you can be flexible towards needed goal tweaking and goal outcomes.
Of course, Dr. Ben-Sharar goes into more detail in his book, aptly called Happier.
Which approach is your modus operandi?
What ways can you think of to increase pleasurable activities in your life? (Hint- Ben-Shahar suggests you ritualize these activities, such same time, day, place, accoutrements, etc.)
What goals do have that are meaningful and of value to you?
Please share with us in the comment section.
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Much happiness to you today and always,
Val Lovejoy
Reiki Master
www.ThriveNaturalHealth.com
