Of course certain events or sights or people will trigger feelings of happiness, warmth, security, serenity and buoy your spirits letting your heart sing and your feet skip along your path.
But what if You could control Your happiness yourself, look for signs of potential happiness and make happiness 'grow' by repeating the pattern?
A recent study taken by the Harvard Business Review suggests that in order to locate your 'happiness' you should first identify what truly makes you happy. It's quite methodical, but generally it's taking the time to check with your own 'compass' and really find how you feel about a given situation, your day, your week, an event. Exercises like asking yourself throughout the day are you happy; is the task your doing that's making you happy; how controlled are you in the situation you are in; and asking yourself a series of questions about personal growth, mastery, autonomy and purpose throughout the day.
One researcher said they were actually happier working towards a certain goal than by achieving it in the end.
For me, 'happy' means simple things; knowing that my family is well and happy; eating a delicious meal with friends or family on a lovely sunny afternoon; having the house in order; ticking off my tasks/errands throughout the day; maintaining a sense of equilibrium in my life (aah, what is balance then?)... I like a sense of autonomy and collaboration; I like a sense of purpose and I like to add personal growth to my day. For me it's the end of the journey and the reaching of the goal, ticking it off the list and then going on to the next one. Sometimes I do feel like one of those white mice in a lab just going over the same routine (that's not such a bad thing right?), but I pepper that with the colour and vibrancy that comes from family, friends and acquaintances in the daily interaction that is living life. Therein lies some balance.
If you would like to ask yourself some questions to analyse what makes you happy, click through here and start making a list.
2 comments:
Thanks Hellen for your post. I've found your thoughts very interesting. I have to say that in the last weeks I felt very happy, thanks specially to some future work plans that I was expecting for a long. Well yesterday something happened and now those plans are in standby...
...But this morning I woke up feeling pessimistic and I have to do a work inside myself to see the light again. It's true that everyday I think of my family and friends which makes me happy. Fortunately we are fine and there are no important problems to resolve...
Happiness is to be found everyday.
Have a wonderful day Helen!
For me happiness lies in the little things, in everyday life pleasures, but it's also important to set goals and to accomplish them, the journey as well as the result matter to me. But what gives me the greatest joy is to know that my family is well and happy.
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