There are as many definitions of happiness as there are people on the planet. So why should you read any further? Because we make it up and since we make it up, maybe we should consider modifying it to better support our intention to be happy. But modifying it to what?
I’ve read over 50 books (and counting) on the subject of happiness in the last 18 months. One of my favorites is “How We Choose To Be Happy”, by Rick Foster and Greg Hicks. They are sociologists who interviewed, face-to-face, extremely happy people throughout the world for three years. Their methods were 2-3 times more stringent than similar studies. What they came up with are common denominators of extremely happy people. Among them was their definition of happiness (below).
A great way to succeed at anything is to model people who are already doing it successfully. So, if you want to be extremely happy, why not model extremely happy people?
I would strongly recommend you consider adopting this definition of happiness:
“A profound, enduring feeling of contentment, capability, and centeredness —the 3 Cs. It’s a rich sense of well-being that comes from knowing you can deal productively and creatively with all that life offers—both the good and the bad. It’s knowing your internal self and responding to your real needs, rather than the demands of others. And it’s a deep sense of engagement —living in the moment and enjoying life’s bounty.” (Courtesy “How We Choose To Be Happy”, by Rick Foster and Greg Hicks)
Nice. I could quote many famous people’s definition of happiness. But why? To fill space in my blog? Not. Besides, Foster and Hicks have already done the work for us. Why re-invent the wheel? Unless and until a better definition shows up, I’m going to use it and model extremely happy people.
You might even want to read the above definition twice a day for 30 days: first thing in the morning and last thing before going to sleep. This will help you to focus on what you want (happiness) and off of what you don’t want (unhappiness).
Once you’re clear about this definition of happiness and have decided to adopt it, then you can begin living the definition. Other blog entries will provide the specific “how-tos” for living this definition of happiness.
David Humes
