The Happiest Place on Earth -- Within

You too can find happiness, if you know where to look!

We all want happiness. Its pursuit was deemed so vital an “unalienable” right by our founding fathers that they penned it into our country’s charter.  But what exactly is this thing called happiness?  How can you describe it?  How can you quantify it?  These questions and more exist at the core of Positive Psychology, or the Science of Happiness.

The preponderance of 20th Century psychology has dealt with the “disease model” of the mind, focusing on what makes human beings mentally unhealthy. Abraham Maslow’s “self-actualization” brought attention to qualities of the optimal experience.  But it wasn’t until 1998 that happiness became a focus of study, when Martin Seligman delivered an address to the American Psychological Association, calling for his colleagues’ return to the roots of their discipline, identifying and realizing what makes for an extraordinary human life experience. 

Their subsequent work has produced findings many consider surprising.  For instance, most blue-collar working folk are as happy as rich people, and teenagers from working class families describe themselves as happier than teenagers from affluent families.  Surveys in many countries conducted over decades indicate that, on average, happiness levels have not increased over the last four decades, despite significant increases in real income per capita.

Research bears out that once your basic needs are met, additional income does little to raise your sense of life satisfaction. Same goes for education, weather and youth.  Even spending time with the kids failed to top the charts.  When it comes to marriage, “it’s complicated.”  Married people tend to be happier than singles, but it is suggested that may be because they were happier to begin with.  As for success, it has been concluded that happiness brings success, not the other way around.

So what then makes us happiest? Faith, family friends.  In a world where so many of us relate electronically it is noteworthy that Positive Psychologists stress the importance of social skills and support through close interpersonal ties, however those are cultivated. 

After reading a dozen or so self-proclaimed definitive “Top #” lists promising the keys to the happiness kingdom, here is what they collectively boiled down to when it comes to how to get happy. 

• gratitude
• acts of altruism
• relationships, emotional intimacy... and forgiveness
• meaningful vocations or avocations. getting involved in something bigger than yourself
• savoring the present moment
• meditation

So are there any benefits to this happiness business above and beyond the obvious?  Plenty. Happiness seems to have nearly magical properties.  Just as stress can trigger ill health, so can friendship and happiness have a salubrious effect. The current science suggests it leads to longer life, better health, greater resilience and improved performance in most pursuits. It can add 9 years to life... that’s 3 times as many years as the increase in life expectancy associated with quitting smoking! 

And the best news of all?  It’s highly contagious!

What makes you happy?  We’d love for you to visit us on our Facebook page to share with us.

Happily,

Lilo