Truth be told, this title is a little misleading; there is not an exact formula to be happy. This is a declaration of discovery and a personal experiment that I want to share. Every person has their own road that will lead to nirvana. The choice of 'road' is either an active or passive choice, but it is a choice. While there are things in life that our outside of our control, we do have influence over how we let these things make us feel. Changing thoughts and habits can be difficult to do, but can be done even in very small steps. Sometimes it's as simple as changing focus on what you are thinking about. What do you change your focus to?
Happiness is defined as:
"Happiness is a mental or emotional state of well-being characterized by positive or pleasant emotions ranging from contentment to intense joy" http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Happiness
"Glad" is a little different - it is both an adjective and a verb. It is both being very happy about something and willing to take action. I like the word - "I am glad that you came and I am glad to help"
The concept and definition of Happiness is incredibly vague, but if I were to try and sum up my personal definition, I would say that it is a positive feeling of well being. While there is no exact formula for happiness, the field of positive psychology has made many strides toward identifying, through scientific study, indicators that contribute toward ones positive since of well being. Some of these indicators include:
- Psychological well being - Emotional balance
- Health
- Social support - Your network of friends, family, and community
- Standard of Living (how you perceive this)
These topics are broad, but there are specific and actionable steps that you can take every day to improve these areas of your life and thus improve YOUR happiness. I am not a psychologist, just a normal person trying to improve how I feel and share what I find. I want to encourage you to also share what you discover too. Please join me on this road of discovery and chose to be glad.
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