Being balanced and happy is something that has many meanings and layers in my life. I talk about my health love of food a lot, but happiness weighs heavy in my life as I have struggled in the past and I am guessing I will in the future. I am referring to happiness in a big picture sense, not happy as in the moment happy. Searching for happiness has kept me up many nights, drove me to drink many drinks and even cost me a few wonderful relationships.
I recently found out my sister, a professor, teaches a course on living well and happiness. This doesn’t really shock me, because I see my sister as a very happy person. Sure she has her struggles, but she deals with them and moves on (sometimes she holds a grudge, but for the most part she moves on). She has a beautiful family, I am pretty sure she loves her job. She is healthy and fit and generally has a good outlook on things, though she can be a bit snarky and snooty at times. When it’s all said and done, I would have to say she has a full, rich and well balanced life! Love ya sis! =)
I recently found out my sister, a professor, teaches a course on living well and happiness. This doesn’t really shock me, because I see my sister as a very happy person. Sure she has her struggles, but she deals with them and moves on (sometimes she holds a grudge, but for the most part she moves on). She has a beautiful family, I am pretty sure she loves her job. She is healthy and fit and generally has a good outlook on things, though she can be a bit snarky and snooty at times. When it’s all said and done, I would have to say she has a full, rich and well balanced life! Love ya sis! =)
What I was shocked to learn is that at Harvard University one of the most popular courses is related to positive psychology. Did you know that there are over 100 different universities and colleges in America that have courses on positive psychology and living well? After thinking about it, I’m really not that shocked. Happiness has been a topic of discussion and debate for thousands of years. In America The Declaration of Independence endows us all with, ”certain unalienable rights, among them life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness”
I almost feel I have to pursue my happy place. Considering I am not even sure what happiness is for me, this seems like an awful lot of pressure. Apparently I am not alone in this lack of knowledge. Medical professionals, psychology experts, religious figures, and philosophers have trouble agreeing on what is “happiness.”
There are many definitions, but most agree that happiness is more than a mere “happy” smile with a giddy feeling. The most useful definition of happiness includes an overall sense of a content or satisfied life. Happiness is more than skin deep, more than a motivational self-help seminar and more than a shallow smile! Pretty vague definition, eh? (the eh is for my brother-in-law, he’s Canadian)
The concept of happiness is far from a new idea, though the past decade in America the “Happiness Movement” has exploded. If we go back about 2350 years or so, Aristotle came to the conclusion that everyone was in search of the highest good. A state of “eudaimonia” (“happiness”) and “eu zên” (“living well”). All things we do should direct us to this purpose. That sounds kind of familiar doesn’t it? It’s pretty much the basis of most motivational speakers, self-help gurus, life coaches, snake oil merchants, Jack and his magic bean stalk beans (ok maybe that one is a far stretch) and the 20,000+ results when you search "happiness" on Amazon.
There are many definitions, but most agree that happiness is more than a mere “happy” smile with a giddy feeling. The most useful definition of happiness includes an overall sense of a content or satisfied life. Happiness is more than skin deep, more than a motivational self-help seminar and more than a shallow smile! Pretty vague definition, eh? (the eh is for my brother-in-law, he’s Canadian)
The concept of happiness is far from a new idea, though the past decade in America the “Happiness Movement” has exploded. If we go back about 2350 years or so, Aristotle came to the conclusion that everyone was in search of the highest good. A state of “eudaimonia” (“happiness”) and “eu zên” (“living well”). All things we do should direct us to this purpose. That sounds kind of familiar doesn’t it? It’s pretty much the basis of most motivational speakers, self-help gurus, life coaches, snake oil merchants, Jack and his magic bean stalk beans (ok maybe that one is a far stretch) and the 20,000+ results when you search "happiness" on Amazon.
So what really is happiness? Well that depends on you! Happiness does not come in a one size fits all snuggy box. I have pondered this many nights and think I have an idea of what happiness means for me. Happiness involves being fit and healthy, having an open mind, being curious about the unknown and accepting of that which is different, and acknowledging, confronting, and dealing with sadness when it knocks on my door. For without sadness there is no measure of happiness!
We will explore more on this later.....
We will explore more on this later.....
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