There was a time when in the busy roads of our own lives, among the noise of messages and the rush of tasks, there was a question that was often hard to hear:
Are you happy with your life? Don’t answer right away with “Yes, of course!”
I was sitting on a park bench where I go every day in the morning before college. Even though the sun with its light — was trying to make everyone happy and the birds were also singing a beautiful song.
At that time — I was busy looking through my phone and didn’t notice the beauty of the world around me. Live all of Us do. We get headphones and airpods in our ears and get into another world of phones and the internet.
At that time only while scrolling, the Reddit community I found a question regarding Happiness.
Happiness is like trying to catch smoke with your bare hands — it’s hard to catch because it changes form all the time. We often think of big accomplishments or material things as the key to happiness. We tell ourselves things like, “I’ll be happy when I get that promotion” or “A new car will make me happy.” These are things that we mostly think of.
For me right now is to pass pharmacology… Remediation program. But what do you think — really, is it?
According to psychological studies, happiness isn’t just a place you go; it’s more like a way you get there. Studies have shown that our amounts of happiness are affected by our genes, our situations, the things we do, and how we feel.
According to one research, 30–40% of happiness is passed down through genes, which suggests a strong genetic effect. Happiness, on the other hand, is more likely to be passed down through genes than IQ.
But here is the most important to focus — is SITUATION and THINGS WE DO.
You heard that right — what we do and how we feel has a big effect on our happiness. It’s like being the DJ of your mood and adding tracks of happiness, thanks, and awareness.
Now though, this is where things get interesting. Have you heard of the Hedonic Treadmill? The idea behind this theory is that we tend to return to a fixed amount of happiness no matter what we do or what happens.
For example — Did you win the lottery? You’ll be on cloud nine for a while, but after some time, you’ll be back to normal, thinking about the next big thing you need to buy.
But, where can we find happiness if not in big acts of kindness or brand-new toys?
Don’t forget — the easy things that make life worth living. When was the last time you so hard you cried with a friend? Or the time when the sun warmed your face after days of rain? These brief times, my friends, are the hidden stars of our story of happiness.
It’s not about giving up on all your hopes and dreams, though. Please dream big! But don’t forget to enjoy the little side trips along the way… Find happiness in the little things, like dancing in the kitchen while you make your coffee in the morning or singing in the shower like you’re the main act at a concert.
Okay, it’s time to do something! Let us do a little experiment on happiness. For the next week, study how to be happy.
- Write down three things that made you happy every day in a small notebook (or your phone, if you have to).
- What could it be? A tasty meal, a nice word from a stranger, or even the satisfying click of a pen.
- What was the goal? To set our ears to the frequency of happiness and pick up messages that we normally miss.
The Happiness Illusion
Let’s talk about the big problem that nobody wants to talk about.
Because of the polished and sanitized way that social media shows life, we often think that everyone else is living their best life while ours seems dull.
But keep in mind that what we see is just a highlight reel that was carefully put together to show the best parts and leave out the bad ones. In its purest form, life is a mix of highs and lows, happiness and sadness, successes and failures.
So like when feeling envious as you read through your feed, remember that every perfect post is written by a real person who has problems and issues. You’re not the only one who gets lost or confused sometimes. It’s normal to feel that way, and it’s okay.
In the end, happiness isn’t a one-size-fits-all outfit — it’s a custom-made set that’s made to fit the unique curves of each of our lives. It’s about enjoying the ride, being open to the side trips, and dancing in the rain (figuratively and physically if you want to).
Do you remember that park bench I talked about? For some reason, I finally put my phone away and let the beauty around me take over. I watched as a happy little kid chased his puppy and an old couple walked hand-in-hand, silently telling each other stories that would last a lifetime.
At that moment, when life was just going about its normal course, I found a small bit of happiness.
Once again, I am telling you that being happy is a process, a set of decisions, and a gathering of moments. Start small, enjoy the present, and smile your way to happiness one day at a time. I want to leave you with a challenge: find joy in the every day, dance a little dance of happiness every day, and make a tapestry of moments that make your heart warm and your life bright.
Be real, happy, and be yourself.
…
I hope you enjoyed the read. If you like this then subscribe to my medium Newsletter.
—
This post was previously published on medium.com.
***
From The Good Men Project on Medium
 |
 |
 |
 |
***
Join The Good Men Project as a Premium Member today.
All Premium Members get to view The Good Men Project with NO ADS.
A $50 annual membership gives you an all access pass. You can be a part of every call, group, class and community.
A $25 annual membership gives you access to one class, one Social Interest group and our online communities.
A $12 annual membership gives you access to our Friday calls with the publisher, our online community.
Register New Account
Need more info? A complete list of benefits is here.
—–
Photo credit: Surface on Unsplash
