Weekly ideas to stimulate reflection, inspire new possibilities and encourage new ways of doing and being.
1. Test the water
This week’s word is: Happiness
Happiness is a state of well-being characterized by feelings of contentment, joy, fulfillment, and satisfaction with one's life and circumstances. It involves experiencing positive emotions and a sense of overall positivity and meaning.
The word "happiness" has its origin in the Middle English word "happ," which meant "chance" or "fortune." Over time, its meaning evolved to include the state of being fortunate or lucky. Eventually, it came to encompass the state of well-being and contentment that we associate with happiness today.
What is your definition of happiness and how do you relate to it? Discuss the question here.
2. Experience the initial wave
To broaden your perspective, take a few minutes to read the following thoughts and notice what comes up for you.
I.
"Happiness is when what you think, what you say, and what you do are in harmony". Mahatma Gandhi
II.
Martin Seligman, often regarded as the father of positive psychology, linked happiness to three key components: 1. positive emotions, 2. engagement, and 3. meaning. Positive emotions like pleasure and warmth contribute to a "pleasant life," while engagement, also known as flow, involves merging with an activity and losing one’s sense of self. Lastly, a "meaningful life" consists of belonging to, or serving, something more significant than the self.
III.
Joy, happiness, and contentment are often used interchangeably, but they convey slightly different nuances of positive emotions: joy is a profound sense of inner delight, happiness is a state of pleasure and well-being influenced by external factors, and contentment is a sense of peace and satisfaction with one's current circumstances.
3. Dive deep
To gain a deeper understanding and spark new discoveries, this week I invite you to reflect on the following questions:
Does happiness factor into your decisions and goals?
What is the benefit of being unhappy?
What are you afraid will happen if you become happy?
4. Ride your radiant wave
This week, I encourage you to reflect on the paradox that arises when the relentless pursuit of happiness inadvertently fuels feelings of unhappiness and resistance. The societal pressure to be constantly happy can create a continuous cycle of striving and disappointment. Instead of relentlessly pursuing happiness, we can learn to cultivate contentment and gratitude in the present moment. Reframing our mindset and focusing on what we can appreciate in each moment, allows us to find moments of joy and fulfillment in everyday life, rather than pinning our hopes on some distant future state of perpetual happiness. This week, I invite you to consider this simple yet profound truth: to find happiness, stop searching for it.
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