The Pursuit of Happiness · The Pursuit of Happiness Happiness is more than a lack of pain: it is...
Transcript of The Pursuit of Happiness · The Pursuit of Happiness Happiness is more than a lack of pain: it is...
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The Pursuit of Happiness
Happiness is more than a lack of pain: it is the ability to find joy in our daily lives, despite any difficulties we
encounter. It is an attitude of openness towards life, an ability to enjoy the world we find around us, and
the ability to be resilient when we do face obstacles. And it helps us succeed in life: studies show the
people who identify themselves as happy are more goal-oriented, have better relationships, manage stress
better, and are more successful in life. Above all, happiness is a set of skills that can be learned. According
to a relatively new branch of study, called Positive Psychology, there are characteristics that are shared by
people who are happy, and we can all use those techniques to add more happiness in all of our lives.
Optimism
Optimism isn’t a belief that bad things won’t happen to us. It’s a way of
interpreting our world, understanding that whatever is occurring is
happening for a purpose, and we will be equal to the challenge. When we
use optimism, we see any difficulties in perspective, accepting them, and
understanding that they will recede in time. We know when to move on,
and focus our time and energy on what we can control. We are good at
compartmentalizing: not letting an adversity in one area of our lives seep
over and negatively influence any other area of our lives.
Strategies for developing optimism are:
Consciously changing our negative thoughts to positive ones, trying to visualize what we want instead of
what we fear, trying to find the positives in every situation, surrounding ourselves with positive people, and
using humor frequently.
Gratitude
Gratitude is an acknowledgement of the benefits given to us by others.
And, of all the character traits, it has the highest link to positive mental
health. People who experience gratitude regularly report being happier,
less depressed, less stressed, and more satisfied with their lives. They have
higher levels of control of their environments, higher personal growth,
more of a purpose in their lives, and a greater self-acceptance. They are
more likely to seek help from others, and grow from difficult experiences.
They also sleep better, possibly because they think less negative and more
positive thoughts just before going to sleep.
Strategies for developing gratitude are: include paying a “gratitude visit,” by visiting people who have
helped us in our lives and saying “thank you,” not leaving the house daily until we can think of three things
we have to be grateful for, and volunteering our time to give to others,
Resilience
Resilience is the ability to adapt and “bounce back” in difficult
circumstances, in order to reach our goals. And it is a powerful predictor,
regarding whether we will succeed at what we are attempting. Resilience
means that we view adversity in a positive light, because it teaches us to
cope, and makes us stronger as a result. It is based on the theory that we
can’t control the obstacles we encounter in life, but we can control how
we react to them. It includes the skills of positive reframing (viewing a
difficult circumstance in a positive light), enthusiasm, and perseverance.
Strategies for developing resilience are: learning not to give up, examining past experiences for what we
can change in ourselves, asking for help from others, and allowing ourselves to feel good about the things
that go right, instead of dwelling on the negatives of a situation.
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Flow
Flow is a focused mental state in which we’re fully immersed and involved
in the activity we’re engaged in. It means having values that we care about
and outcomes that are worth working for, and harnessing ourselves
towards those life goals. It also means utilizing our emotions in positive
ways, by using enthusiasm, curiosity, and excitement about learning to
“throw ourselves” into what we’re doing. Flow consists of an intense
concentration, “losing ourselves” into the activity, feeling “in the zone,” or
at our peak competence, losing our sense of time, and feeling an intense
pleasure from the activity.
Strategies for developing flow are: discovering our “signature strengths,” setting simple step-by-step
goals, engaging fully in an activity without distraction, solving mental puzzles, finding ways to explore and
grow in our jobs, and engaging in an activity for its own sake.
Creativity
Put simply, creativity is the skill of coming up with new ideas. There are
many kinds of creativity, including flexible thinking, elaboration of existing
ideas, and originality. Creativity both contributes to, and is caused by
happiness. Creativity often happens naturally, because we are all creative
beings. In fact, studies are showing that adults can be prompted to
become more creative by being asked to think like children. But creativity
is also a skill that can be developed, because we often need the right skills
and environment to bring our creativity out. Qualities that often help
promote creativity are curiosity, flexibility, and open-mindedness.
Strategies for developing creativity are: putting our ideas down in words or pictures; taking up a new
creative pursuit, getting ourselves out of our routine, brainstorming all the ideas we have, no matter how
outrageous they sound, and seeking inspiration in our daily lives.
Connection
It isn’t just a child who needs a village: we all need a strong support group
for our own emotional wellness. People who have solid ongoing
connections with their families, friends, neighbors, places of worship, and
communities report feeling happier, and for good reason. These strong
connections impart the emotional support we need to cope with stressors,
and act as buffers for any difficulties that come along. In addition, our
connections give us concrete support by giving a feeling of belonging,
giving a place to share difficulties, giving information, and giving
constructive advice.
Strategies for strengthening our connections are: staying in contact with friends, surrounding ourselves
with people who are positive, and supportive, using every-day situations as opportunities to connect with
friends, and asking for help when we need to.
For more information, please feel free to contact the following websites:
• Psychology today has a variety of articles on happiness and Positive Psychology at:
http://www.psychologytoday.com/basics/positive-psychology
• ABC New’s 20/20 show has a good article on Positive Psychology and happiness, at:
http://abcnews.go.com/Health/story?id=4115033&page=1
• Authentic Happiness, the website of the Dr. Martin Seligman, the founder of Positive Psychology, is a
free site, but registration is required.
http://www.authentichappiness.sas.upenn.edu/Default.aspx
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