Without Dash

It might be a strange idea to ask people how happy they are, but this is a proven method to measure happiness, according to social scientists. Levels of happiness might not be the same between different individuals, but we all have some bottom line and a top level from which we can measure things. Happiness could be measured on a scale from 1 to 10, based on a personal perception.

Happiness has all to do with needs, acceptance, satisfaction, and self-image. Social scientists still do not agree on all the ingredients of happiness, measurements, effects, influencing happiness, and more. Research is being done over many lifetimes already and there probably won’t be any clear answers in our life time either.

So, WHERE do we find happiness?
That question at least is easy to answer. You have to find happiness in yourself.

What is the PRICE of happiness?
Happiness is free, for those who can find it. Happiness cannot be attained at a price, even though many people are trying to. With the current happiness hype, people are pursuing happiness at high costs, whether that is real money or at cost of ourselves and others around us.

A much more difficult question is “HOW do we find happiness?” Many of the answers that people have do not bring us much happiness.

Some people stop pleasing others and start “thinking about themselves”. All in all, a not illogic solution, but this is not the way to find happiness. The more we focus on ourselves, the more we have to lose and the more we get disappointed. Pleasing someone else it not a bad thing at all and it can bring great happiness as well. It is about focusing on the right people.

Often we see the media focusing on the happiness perceived from material things and money. What the commercials display is a short-term pleasure, but has nothing much to do with happiness. To find real happiness you must learn to be at peace with your life as it is.

In pursuit of happiness, people often strive for it. They work hard to achieve the ultimate goal: happiness. People expect to find happiness at the end of the race and meanwhile compare themselves with others. “Look at all this person achieved, and he is still not happy” or “If I was in this person’s situation, I would be happy”. Striving and comparing only brings envy or pride. Happiness can be found in accepting. We are all unique. We should accept ourselves and focus on our qualities.

We could also worry about things that we cannot change, like how tall or short we are, skin colors, and there are many things that we can change due to modern technologies and surgery. We can now have a nose, eyes, ears, hair, and breasts as we want, but in most cases this will not bring true happiness. The answer is in accepting ourselves and finding advantages rather than disliking ourselves.

People are often trying to find their calling or passions, and jump into anything that looks interesting to get a temporary feeling of happiness, varying from hobbies, clothes to partners and pets. Results are often emotional roller coasters. Try to think long term instead and vision how you want your life to be. Work strategically to get to that point.

Happiness is a highly discussed topic and much in demand. It is there for all of us and for free. However, for many of us, happiness is one of the hardest things to get. Knowing how to find it is just a small step. Changing our thoughts and learning to accept is easier said then done. Any practical solutions are welcome…

Tags: self improvement