“From joy springs this universe;
in joy it has it’s being,
and unto joy it returns.”
~ Brihadaranyaka Upanisad
What is Happiness?
“Happiness is the meaning and the purpose of life,
the whole aim and end of human existence.” ~ Aristotle
Most people think that they will be happy when they get a certain job, a promotion, a relationship, a new car or home, or more money. While these things might be important for you at certain times in your life, none of these things will make you substantially happier. This doesn’t mean that finding happiness is wishful thinking, but it seems that we tend to look for happiness in the wrong places. Learning how to increase our happiness is a very important goal that everyone has the right to pursue and achieve. And it is possible; thanks to the Science of Happiness or Positive Psychology, we can teach Happiness skills as we can teach any other skills.
True happiness is a deep sense of inner contentment and fulfillment; a higher level of consciousness; a state of mind that once we reach it, it will never go away. Scientists have measured happiness and found that a happy person has distinct activity in certain parts of the brain, heart rhythms, and body chemistry.
What determines our happiness?
Researchers have found that no matter what happens to you in life, whether good or bad, you tend to return to a fixed range of happiness within a year: they call it “your happiness set-point”. Your happiness set-point is determined by your genes (50%), your circumstances (10%), and (40%) by your habits: thoughts, feelings, and actions. Your happiness set-point will remain the same unless you make a concentrated effort to change it.
Please watch this talk by Matthieu Ricard (Biochemist turned Buddhist monk) on “What is happiness, and how can we all get some?” He shows you that we can train our minds in habits of well-being, to generate a true sense of serenity and fulfillment.
http://www.ted.com/talks/matthieu_ricard_on_the_habits_of_happiness.html
As you could see in the above video, the scientific studies in neuroscience and brain imaging techniques have proved that not only happiness is real, measurable, and possible to achieve, but also that you – and only you – is responsible for your own happiness. So, stop blaming and complaining and start working towards your happiness – that is if you really want to be happy.
Why should you strive to be happy?
Researches have shown that happy people are healthier, live longer, have better relationships, and are more successful in life. Besides that, improving your own happiness is a way to make the world a better place.
Make sure to check this blog often, as I will be posting more tips and inspiring videos.
In the meantime, as Robert Brault said: “Enjoy the little things for one day you may look back and realize that they were the big things.”
Here is a cute short video that gives you some good simple Tips for Happy Living. Enjoy!
