How I Found Happiness

I've heard so many times that "real happiness is found in the little things that you do" not the big stuff. By "Big Stuff" I'm referring to material objects. But since we live in a fast paced environment it seems that money makes the world go around. What can you do that doesn't involve money? Very little. Especially if you live in America.

So, if the climate revolves around money, do we need money to be happy with ourselves? I set out to research what the so-called experts have to say about it. Here's what I found out.

More than two thousand years ago, the Greek philosopher Aristotle wrote, " All knowledge and every pursuit aims at ...the highest of all good achievable by action." And what is that good?

Aristotle goes on further to say that happiness is "the meaning and purpose of life, the whole aim and end of human existence. I understand and agree with this last statement that Aristotle said two centuries ago. I see it everyday, people searching for love and happiness. So if both of these concepts define human existence, then why do we see so many people unhappy and searching for answers?

To some extent, a good life requires good fortune. Aristotle holds that ultimately happiness isn't a product of chance, because in the end, happiness depends upon yourself. Most modern day psychologists agree.

The How of Happiness

Sonja Lyubomirsky shares her results of years of research into what makes people happy. Based on her work, she believes that about half of human happiness is biological. Since each of us seems to have a happiness "set point" which accounts for roughly 50% of our level of contentment. Because this set point is genetic, it's tough to change. Have you ever heard someone say; "Little Johnny looks and act just like his Daddy." I have. And it's true because of his set point. Then another 10% of happiness is circumstantial-based on external factors. These include traits like age, race, nationality and gender, as well as things like marital status, occupational status, job security, and income. Your financial situation is part of this 10%...but only a part...Which means it accounts for a tiny fraction of your total happiness.

The final 40% of happiness comes from intentional activity...the things you choose to do. A big chunk of contentment is based on your actions and attitude. You can increase your level of well-being through exercise, gratitude, and meaningful work.

So, if 60% of our happiness depends on our circumstances and is biological, we at least can be half way happy by adjusting our attitudes and actions. Having good health will give you an edge, especially if you can maintain a healthy body by making intelligent choices.

What do we need to do to be healthy physically and mentally? Well that's a big list to discuss here. but I'll tell you that you must; be able to sleep well, eat nutritious food and exercise. You cannot leave off any one of these if you want to be healthy. Having such a fast-paced lifestyle, how can we accomplish these healthy requirements?

You can't wait for someone or something to make you happy. Happiness isn't something that just happens; happiness is a by product of the things that you think and say and do. For this reason, if we could focus on love and beauty rather than war, hate, and crime; we would all be better off. For this reason, I don't watch the news channels. Because I can't change anything in the world, I'm better off not knowing about it. Why do people like to hear about tragedy and murder; especially if the news doesn't bring you happiness? And why doesn't the news channel report more good news?

I mentioned earlier the Greek philosopher Aristotle and his perspective, but I want to introduce you to a modern day psychologist Mihalay Csikszentmihaly; who has studied human happiness and creativity for over 50 years. Much of his work has focused on "flow" which is his term for "optimal experience". People are happiest when they forget their surroundings to focus on doing their best at something that challenges and interests them.

In short, happiness is produced by total engagement in the pursuit of accomplishment. Sometimes flow is achieved through physical activity. To achieve flow, you have to find a balance between your abilities and the challenge of the task at hand.

While seeking happiness in my life, I've eliminated negative people as much as possible. I don't need to hear about gloom and doom. I know "what a bad shape" the whole world is in. I know how "corrupt the government is". I know about child abuse and domestic violence. But I can't do anything about it. Yes, it's true...I don't want to get involved. I want to experience total love and beauty in my life. I am a dreamer! I want to stay that way.

How Can We Conquer Overwhelm?

We can focus on one thing at a time. Forget about multi-tasking. It's actually counter-productive. Live in the moment and don't worry about tomorrow. It may be easier said than done, but it's a skill that can be learned. By making a daily to-do list and following it will help preserve your energy level at the end of the day and help destroy overwhelm.

I realize that most people don't have enough time to do all the things they would like to do. But it's important to prioritize and let the rest of it go, so you don't experience too much anxiety. As we all know, stress can kill.

So, finding happiness in your own life varies for different people. Only you can make yourself happy from your choices. This gets confusing sometime. We often believe that a "special someone" makes us happy, but it's only because we allow them to make us happy. We have chosen certain likes about this special person.

As for me, I'm not truly happy, but I've found contentment in life. I'm still searching though for that happy medium and those moments of "flow". I'm on the right track when writing for Steemit. I like being interactive on this social media platform. What does it take to make you happy? I would like to know.

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