Happiness Can be Yours!

Can happiness be a state of being rather than simply a momentary and fleeting feeling or emotion?  Psychologists over the years have studied this very question and many have identified several traits and factors shared among truly happy people.  Below are 6 ways we can live a life full of happiness.      

#1 Satisfied with Basic Needs

Happy people are content with simply having their basic needs met.  And though surprising to some, having extra money to spend does not contribute to long-term satisfaction or happiness but in fact can diminish it.  The reason for this is often wealthy individuals experience short-lived highs from excessive or extravagant purchases.  These ups and subsequent downs disrupt sustained happiness.  Thus happy people, whether wealthy or not, are able to say no to what they may want, and live content with having enough.    

#2 Appreciation for Simplicity

Happy people know that more is not better.  When we are distracted by too many things, our ability to be present and live in the moment diminishes along with our ability to appreciate and enjoy experiences.  Simplifying our lives rather than “wanting it all” or trying to “do it all” leads to greater happiness. 

#3 Dedication to a Cause

Happy people are dedicated to something they believe in and to something they are able to lose themselves in.  Being dedicate to something we feel is a worthwhile cause helps us feel we are contributing to a greater good and something bigger than ourselves.  This “cause” gives us purpose and meaning and may include work, volunteerism, or even an affiliation with a religious organization.  Often times happy people refer to this as a “calling” for them in life.  Those who aren’t as happy lack a cause that they feel they are living for. 

#4 Use of Personal Strengths

Happy people feel they are able to use their personal strengths to help others.  And personal strengths are more than simply sharing talents developed such as playing a musical instrument, but include our unique traits such as kindness, empathy, courage, creativity, etc.  Happy people identify their strengths and find meaningful ways to use them to improve life around them.

#5 Commitment to Relationships

Happy people have close relationships with friends and family.  Humans are wired to live interdependently and actually need one another in order to fully enjoy life.  Happy people stay true and committed to others they love which makes life worthwhile.

#6 Selflessness

Happy people are more selfless than others.  Being less selfish and serving others brings meaning and purpose to our life and can make us feel alive.  So many people strive to find happiness with a focus on themselves when happiness actually comes by having a focus outside of ourselves.  Looking for ways to help and sacrifice for others will produce lasting happiness.       

At the end of the day, happiness can be ours.  If you are not feeling so happy all of the time right now, try to live the way happy people do!  If we want happiness to be our way of life, rather than simply an occasional feeling, we can start by doing and applying the ideas above.   

Adapted from an article in the Ensign Magazine, April 2014, Lasting Happiness