Happiness

Since happiness is one of the key traits of someone with high self-awareness, it will serve to define what happiness means in that context.

One common way we use the term happiness is to describe a temporary state of feelings we have as a result of pleasant experiences. I feel happy when I’m having a great vacation or if I won the lottery. I might really like a movie or enjoy a great party I’ve attended.

In a broader context, we mean something quite different than a “temporary state of positive emotions” when we refer to happiness. When we encounter a “truly happy

person”, we see a deeply satisfied person, exuding an energy of well-being and fulfillment. These people virtually always express gratitude and optimism. They appreciate others and see life filled with positive experience. Few of us enjoy upsets or serious setbacks, but happy people view these as normal “bumps in the road” that are a normal part of living. As such, they are resolved and forgotten with little fanfare.

My wife and I enjoy sitting in our backyard shade in the late afternoon during the summer, sipping iced tea, and sharing the day with one another. It doesn’t much matter whether there were difficult parts of the day, we find the sharing a deeply satisfying time. Even the sharing of our frustrations is such a nourishing time spent together, we move on to the rest of our day filled with a quiet joy.

Happy people tend to be filled up emotionally every day whether relaxing, handling office work or completing projects around the house. Life is good virtually all the time. Happiness is an internal state of being, not a product of external events.

Researchers find that genetics play a part into how happy people are, but we all can practice being happier. Feeling and expressing gratitude throughout the day is very effective. Expressing thanks every time someone is kind or helpful to you and looking for opportunities to help others. Finding humor in life and laughing out loud every day naturally displays an inner state of well-being. Seeking enjoyable connection with others is a powerful part of feeling satisfaction with life.

Some of the dynamics in creating a sense of satisfaction and well-being come naturally, and some might require effort to build them into habitual behaviors. The benefit to looking on the brighter side of life is worth the effort. Scientific research shows that people who find life a constant satisfying and enjoyable experience extend their lives by eight years, make almost 30% more per year and have greater tendency to have fulfilling marriages than their less satisfied counterparts. Their health is better as well.

Can you see why happier people filled with a sense of well-being have better relationships, better health, are more creative and influential?

Our new online course, 8 STEPS TO VIBRANT HEALTH, WEALTH AND FULFILLMENT (Building Strong Self-awareness for Permanent, Positive Behavior Change) can provide a big boost in your efforts to become the very best version of yourself. Even a single discovery can make all the difference in your life.

Tom Searcy, BCC
Spirit of Eagles