It has its very own Blue Bird.  Will Smith is in pursuit of it.  Every second song’s about it.  Academics debate it.  We want it!

So what is this thing called happiness?  And are we at risk of being seduced by the quick fix?

 

 

The Cambridge Dictionary online says happiness is ‘the feeling of being happy’.

 

It makes sense that we humans would want to feel this way?  But what gets us there?

Let’s explore the answer by compiling a list.

 

Here’s my top 6:

 

Listening to music, dancing and reading.

Attending various events such as concerts and community activities.

Seeing my daughter and her family taking another step closer to living their dreams.

Developing and sharing BESTMe®.

Feeling fit, healthy and strong.

Spending time with the one I love.

 

Ready with your pen?

 

Here’s your top 6: (write 25 words or less for each one – all answers are valid: none is right or wrong)

 

1.    ________________________________________________________

2.    ________________________________________________________

3.    ________________________________________________________

4.    ________________________________________________________

5.    ________________________________________________________

6.    ________________________________________________________

 

QUESTIONS

 

Let’s take a look yours and mine.  My themes are interests; family; business and making a difference; health/wellbeing and love/companionship.

 

Are your themes similar or different?  It’s probable they’re similar because mine are universal themes, really: every generation has interests they enjoy; wants happy kids; wants to make a contribution; needs to function at something more than merely survival level; and likes to be loved.

 

So this is what gets us there.  But is it substantial enough to keep us there?

 

POSITIVE PSYCHOLOGY

 

Positive Psychology focuses on ways in which people can become even happier – in addition to enabling those who are unhappy to be less so.

 

Positive Psychology is headed by Dr Martin Seligman, who is Director of the University of Pennsylvania Positive Psychology Center.

 

Dr Seligman describes ‘happiness’ as ‘good cheer’ we can experience through living 3 different types of ‘happy’ lives that offer both a quick fix and substance:

The Pleasant Life (PA)

 

The Pleasant Life is linked to embracing every experience of joy in the moment:

-Making a hot cuppa and reading Tribe Magazine.

-Having a picnic in the park.

-Doing a spot of retail therapy.

 

The Good Life (Engagement)

 

The Good Life is linked to our full engagement.  Time disappears and we lose awareness of ourselves.  We are in ‘FLOW’:

 

-Painting the bedroom.

-Studying for an exam.

-Watching a favourite movie.

 

The Meaningful Life

The Meaningful Life is linked to living to our highest strengths and committing to something greater than oneself:

 

Identifying nurturing as a highest strength and living it through

parenting/ working with those to whom it is especially important.

Identifying money management as a highest strength and living it

through creating benefit for the lives of many.

Identifying learning as a highest strength and living it through

learning from others and teaching what we have learnt.

 

LIFE SATISFACTION and living the FULL LIFE

 

So which of these 3 ‘happy’ lives is the substance of Life Satisfaction and the secret to living the Full Life?

 

It’s all 3 – and time to get your pen again and revisit your top 6 list.

 

Take a look at number 1 on your list.  Which of the 3 ‘happy’ lives does it most closely represent?  On the same line as your number one, write ‘PA’ or ‘Engagement’ or ‘Meaningful’.

 

Continue to work down your list until you have written one of the ‘happy’ lives next to each of your top 6.

 

On completion, come back and read this next paragraph….

 

THE HYPE and SUBSTANCE OF HAPPINESS

 

The Full Life combines all 3 ‘happy’ lives.   However, the extent to which we experience Life Satisfaction and live Full Lives depends on the ratio between these 3.

 

Repeated research indicates the Full Life is substantiated by Meaning and Engagement – PA is the just ‘icing on the cake’ of substance.

 

Want more happiness in your life?  Increase the ratio of Meaningful and Good Lives relative to PA.  It’ll make the quick fixes of the Pleasant Life even more pleasurable.

 

 

For more information on Positive Psychology, watch Dr Martin Seligman on TED

http://www.ted.com/talks/lang/eng/martin_seligman_on_the_state_of_psychology.html

and visit Authentic Happiness

http://www.authentichappiness.sas.upenn.edu/Default.aspx

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