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Get happy . . . or die trying.
Life sucks. Then you die . . . broke, bitter and alone, perhaps wearing a diaper. But does it have to be that way? Sure, you’re going to kick off no matter what but the way you live your life in the meantime is up to you. And summer is naturally the season to try to turn down the suck and hike up the happiness in your everyday life.
Until pretty recently, happiness was thought to be something you could experience only in death, after leading a virtuous life of stagnant, boring self-denial. Most of the world's religions are not huge proponents of happiness - they often rank morality far above kickin’ out the jams. But even Jesus liked to rock out a little. He drank wine and enjoyed gathering with friends and attending wedding feasts. Apparently, Mathew 11:19 says "The Son of Man came eating and drinking, and they said, 'Look, a glutton and a drunkard!'” So if Jesus was cool with chowing down and living it up, then surely we can give ourselves a pass once in a while.
Modern science is also thinks it’s an idea that’s time has come. No longer thought to be reserved just for the lucky, the pretty and the rich, happiness is now considered to be within everyone’s reach. And scientists are making it their mission to discover exactly how to reach it.
There’s two steps to achieving happiness, according to Burlington-based Shelle Rose Charvet, author of Understanding and Triggering Motivation and president of the Canadian Association of Neuro-Linguistic Programming (also known as “NLP” or “that thing Tony Robbins does”). Charvet says the first step is to know what you want. The second step is making a plan to pursue it.
“If you don’t know what you want, the first step is figuring that out. If you start to understand what your motivational needs are and you set some priorities and manage your time as a function of your priorities, already your morale is going to shift. What do you prefer? Do you prefer to be creative or to follow your normal procedures? Do you need some outside appreciation and respect? Do you like to be with people or on you own? Know what you need and go get it,” explains Charvet.
So ask yourself: ‘If I really wanted to be happier, what would I do differently?’ Inevitable, the answer will come. And it will be: Quit your job, re-unite with your ex, move to Aruba and eat chocolate cake all day. Which sounds great in theory, put in practice, well . . . research is showing that we are actually terrible predictors of what will satisfy us.
For example, despite our most deeply rooted instincts, it seems having a job is actually fundamental to our happiness. “The thing about work – there’s more to work than the paycheck. Work provides structure, socialization, meaning. There’s so many things tied up in work,” says Sharron Orovan Johnston, an assistant professor of psychiatry and neurosciences at McMaster University who promotes humour as a coping skill to decrease stress and anxiety.
Get happy . . . or die trying.
Life sucks. Then you die . . . broke, bitter and alone, perhaps wearing a diaper. But does it have to be that way? Sure, you’re going to kick off no matter what but the way you live your life in the meantime is up to you. And summer is naturally the season to try to turn down the suck and hike up the happiness in your everyday life.
Until pretty recently, happiness was thought to be something you could experience only in death, after leading a virtuous life of stagnant, boring self-denial. Most of the world's religions are not huge proponents of happiness - they often rank morality far above kickin’ out the jams. But even Jesus liked to rock out a little. He drank wine and enjoyed gathering with friends and attending wedding feasts. Apparently, Mathew 11:19 says "The Son of Man came eating and drinking, and they said, 'Look, a glutton and a drunkard!'” So if Jesus was cool with chowing down and living it up, then surely we can give ourselves a pass once in a while.
Modern science is also thinks it’s an idea that’s time has come. No longer thought to be reserved just for the lucky, the pretty and the rich, happiness is now considered to be within everyone’s reach. And scientists are making it their mission to discover exactly how to reach it.
There’s two steps to achieving happiness, according to Burlington-based Shelle Rose Charvet, author of Understanding and Triggering Motivation and president of the Canadian Association of Neuro-Linguistic Programming (also known as “NLP” or “that thing Tony Robbins does”). Charvet says the first step is to know what you want. The second step is making a plan to pursue it.
“If you don’t know what you want, the first step is figuring that out. If you start to understand what your motivational needs are and you set some priorities and manage your time as a function of your priorities, already your morale is going to shift. What do you prefer? Do you prefer to be creative or to follow your normal procedures? Do you need some outside appreciation and respect? Do you like to be with people or on you own? Know what you need and go get it,” explains Charvet.
So ask yourself: ‘If I really wanted to be happier, what would I do differently?’ Inevitable, the answer will come. And it will be: Quit your job, re-unite with your ex, move to Aruba and eat chocolate cake all day. Which sounds great in theory, put in practice, well . . . research is showing that we are actually terrible predictors of what will satisfy us.
For example, despite our most deeply rooted instincts, it seems having a job is actually fundamental to our happiness. “The thing about work – there’s more to work than the paycheck. Work provides structure, socialization, meaning. There’s so many things tied up in work,” says Sharron Orovan Johnston, an assistant professor of psychiatry and neurosciences at McMaster University who promotes humour as a coping skill to decrease stress and anxiety.
posted by Sticky & Spanky at 9:26 AM
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