How to be Happy?

For those of you who resolved to be happier this year, Ross Gittins wrote an interesting article in today’s herald [sorry print issue only] – helpfully titled - ‘How to be Happy', he makes the unsurprisingly comment that it takes time, and hardly any money.

The question of happiness is one that Gittin’s often writes on, and unsurprisingly one that he receives a large volume of feedback about (because I guess we all want to be happier).

Again, perhaps another unsurprising thought that as we look out to our society we see a broken world, and realise that perhaps we are walking the wrong way. Our material wealth has not led us to subjective well-being.

As I read through the article, what I found most interesting (and perhaps I should not be that surprised) was that a lot of the research quoted in the article seemed to highlight biblical values. So, perhaps after all we are wired in a particular way.

The article makes the claim that it is from seeking to make other people happy we ourselves are likely to be happier. In I guess in some form of circle those who are helpful are more likely to be happy, and those who are happy are more likely to help.

Purpose and activity also assist, by giving us meaning. I thought this may be because they can provide a framework, by which we can explain the events of our lives.

It was interesting that when the article talked about “work” – it talked about doing things for their own value, not because you can, or feel you should, or you want the kudos that comes with it. In this sense, work will perhaps add to a sense of happiness.

Contentment or happiness leads us ‘success’ in relationships, work, and health, not the other way round. Clearly we can’t have it all if we want to keep a healthy life, we do need to chose, make priorities of what to do with our time.

The article is perhaps, filled with common sense type statements and claims, but I guess it only highlights how uncommon, common sense make actually be.