Less is more
Most of us spend our adult lives in search of happiness, not only trying to be happy, but we also never know if we find it. But if we do not know when we find it, it may be because we do not know how to identify what happiness is and it may seem out of reality to many.
What is happiness?
"Experience of joy, contentment or positive well-being, combined with the state of a fully satisfied conscience, in addition to the feeling that life is meaningful and worthwhile".
This certainly does not seem that it can be achieved with a few steps of an internet tutorial or by downloading an update on your computer, however, how often do we spend to fill our happiness quotient?
How can we fill in the happiness quotient?
All we need is:
- involvement with the world around us;
- authentic and satisfying relationships;
- a deeper sense of meaning or purpose;
- feelings of accomplishment or success;
- experience of positive emotions.
When we are missing one or more of these items, we still have the feeling that something is missing and, no matter how hard we try, buying too many things will never fill this void.
There are some limiting beliefs that have been put in our head, as to the meaning of the path to happiness, such as high salary, a promotion at work, a high position in a company getting married, having children, or buying a house. Although each of them can contribute to our levels of happiness, they also have a great potential to impair our sense of well-being and even lessen our feelings of joy and satisfaction, as we come to believe that there is no way to be happy alone or working with something that is not highly profitable.
So, where should we focus on the pursuit of happiness?
Practice Gratitude
Gratitude is "a feeling of admiration and appreciation for life," but then focus on being grateful for what you have, rather than wanting what you don't have. However, when we value what we have, we stop focusing on things we don't have and live happier and less dissatisfied because we don't have something.
Practice Kindness
Dalai Lama said: “If you want others to be happy, practice compassion. If you want to be happy, practice compassion. ” It has been shown that kindness is correlated with improving physical health, increasing longevity, reducing anxiety and depression, this is certainly great teaching on how to be happy.
Meaning and purpose of life
Instead of focusing on the meaning of life in general and how to be happy, consider cultivating the meaning of your life as it is today. Assess your priorities to see how they align with your personal values, sense of purpose, and long-term goals.
Optimism and the search for how to be happy
In short, being optimistic does not mean feeling happy all the time, but adopting a balanced approach towards your future. It is not surprising that optimistic people tend to outlive their less optimistic peers. To cultivate more optimism, take the time to think about your “best possible self”. Eventually, imagine what your ideal life will be like and the steps you can take to get there. Write about the future you envision and develop concrete goals to work towards achieving it.
Promoting resilience and learning how to be happy
Adversity is part of life, and learning to navigate efficiently can help lead us towards growth and healing. So resilience encompasses many of the strategies mentioned here, including practicing mindfulness, cultivating forgiveness, and showing compassion.
I hope it made your day a little better.
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Love, @rafaeleff15
