Top 10 ways to pursue happiness
“We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty, and the pursuit of Happiness”
– Thomas Jefferson
On the Fourth of July, take a moment between the hamburgers and watermelon to consider Jefferson’s words. In an economic downtown, is it still possible to find happiness in America? Here are some tried and true methods.
1. Have a BFF. Scientific studies show that people are happiest when with their friends, then family and least happy when alone. A close friendship involves self-disclosure or revealing your real feelings, not just shooting the breeze.
2. Have a heart. People who do volunteer work, particularly those over age 65, show fewer signs of depression and a stronger will to live.
3. Get moving. Exercise not only releases those endorphins we’ve all heard about, it can also be a social activity, get your mind off negative thoughts, and give you the satisfaction of mastering a new skill.
4. Go with the flow. Remember the last time you were so caught up in doing something that you lost all track of time? Psychologist Mihalyi Czikszentmihaly defined this state as “flow.” To give the maximum benefit, the activity must be one that you choose to do because it is enjoyable. It should be challenging, but not too challenging, have a clear goal, provide immediate feedback of how you’re doing, yet offer the opportunity for improvement – something like learning a new language or a musical instrument or perfecting your golf swing.
5. Find your spiritual side. Whether in organized religion, meditation or prayer, acknowledging something higher than yourself has a positive effect on mental health. It’s not all about you.
6. Use what you got. Building on your strengths leads to greater satisfaction than trying to improve your weak areas.
7. Cultivate optimism. Yes, viewing the glass as half full can be learned according to noted positive psychologist Martin Seligman. It’s all in the interpretation. Is the world against you or are you just having a bad day? The choice is yours.
8. Learn an ancient Chinese secret. Confucius told his followers to learn about humanity. Another philosopher, Mencius, taught that we should cultivate “sprouts of virtue.” Still another, Zhuangzi, took a position that would later be characteristic of Winnie the Pooh – get along by going along.
9. The Greeks had a word for it, too. Aristotle advised to maintain the “mean,” the balance between extremes. For him, happiness was a central purpose in human life.
10. Known for his theory of the hierarchy of needs, Abraham Maslow was one of the first modern day psychologists to study healthy rather than sick individuals. His advice for self-actualization was not to sell yourself short.
Fran Thomas is a National Certified Counselor and freelance journalist who lives in St. James City, Fla. Visit her Web site www.francesothomas.com