5 posts tagged “happyness”

This month there was an article in The Wall Street Journal called 'From Attitude to Gratitude: This Is No Time for Complaints'

There were some positive outcomes from ":

"Job satisfaction is actually up, according to a December 2008 survey by Yahoo! HotJobs. Almost 38% of respondents said they were "very satisfied" with their jobs, compared with 28% in 2007, a likely sign that people are grateful they're still employed."

"Even if grumbling is only on hiatus, it's clear that in many quarters, we're seeing a return to Depression-era stoicism and an appreciation of simpler things."

Although the article does bring the positive out of this recession, which is always a good thing, maybe there are a few things we can all learn from this recession:

1. Appreciate what we have at all times [Over a billion people live on less than $1 a day]
   
2. Learn to value what we have independent of other's (worse-off) circumstances
   
3. "Its" really not about money
4. As Mommy and Daddy always used to say whenever relevant - "Please stop whining" for your own good. Maybe it time to shake off the "all-American inclination to complain"
5. Remember: There is no 'I' in Happyness
   

Imagine: Believing is Seeing

 

I have written a few posts on the choices we make about our life, our jobs and then eventually tying them to "happyness". At the core of everything, I try to usually sell one thing - its all about people!

Here is an excellent post by Kristina Cowan on jobs, satisfaction and happiness. My favorite parts:

"Relationships trump money. Gilbert says the best predictor of happiness is the relationships people have with others and the amount of time they spend with family and friends. "We know that it's significantly more important than money and somewhat more important than health. That's what the data shows. The interesting thing is that people will sacrifice social relationships to get other things that won't make them as happy — money. That's what I mean when I say people should do 'wise shopping' for happiness," he explains."

Dan Gilbert, referred to and interviewed by Kristina, is a social psychologist at Harvard University and author of the book "Stumbling on Happiness".

As you will read, Dan goes on to say that "Part of why we chase money, Gilbert says, is because society perpetuates the belief that money brings happiness."

When I moved to the US, I was told that America promotes and cultivates independence - a classic paradox that many of us live all the time. We all want to fit in and we all want to be different.

Some of us will figure it out later.

Imagine: Its your job to be happy

I have a few posts up on happyness and I would like to especially refer to this one with reference to this article in The New York Times - In Silicon Valley, Millionaires Who Don’t Feel Rich, by Gary Rivlin.

Obviously the observations by The Journal and The Economist ring true when you read the entire article that:

1. Wealth is not making Americans happier and
   
2. Rivalry is a big cause for it. The World is just not Enough.

It would have been awesome to see them work that hard because what they were doing was their passion, a hobby or a cause they believed in!

I firmly believe that America is all about choices and it is our job to choose. Many obviously want that 'more' in life - it is really amazing how many here in the Valley (and probably at many other places as well) are climbing "this" pillar hard. Not one seems to know what is at the top but climb they do ... faster and faster.....others are, aren't they....  nudging others out, walking all over others and sacrificing time with their friends, family and children.

It only gets harder since they do not seem to have a strong Why. Friedrich Nietzsche is known to have said "He who has a strong enough why can bear almost any how"

Imagine: The 'y' in happyness

In the last few months, some of the major media outlets have been covering "happiness". The Economist had a special report on it, which I wrote about briefly here and and then today - The Wall Street Journal has its take on it here through an article titled: No Satisfaction - Why What You Have is Never Enough.  I had indirectly referred to when I said "it is your job to choose".

The above two are a little different from the happiness being pursued that I wrote about here since the above is after one has passed the basic requirements under Maslow's hierarchy of needs covered under the Physiological and Safety levels - food, shelter and a roof.

The Journal article states in the second paragraph the following:
"As a country, we are richer than ever. Yet surveys show that Americans are no happier than they were 30 years ago. The key problem: We aren't very good at figuring out what will make us happy."

According to the article, experts offer two reason: (1) We aren't built to be happy. Rather, we are built to survive and reproduce and (2) We're bad at forecasting

The Economist about other experts and how they attributed it to Habits and Rivalry

Different problems are being attributed to this state. Does it surprise you as much, as it does me, that people are are not identified - the people we choose to have around us.

Maslow brings it out in the third tier after Physiology and Safety as Love/Belonging to move on to Esteem (all categorized as Deficiency Needs) and Self-Actualization (categorized as a Growth Need).

It seems "Once an individual has moved past a level, those needs will no longer be prioritized."

In my personal life,belief and imagination, it has always been first about people that have brought me happiness - I learnt to move up 'that' hierarchy from my days in India but always, at each level, surrounded myself with the right people around me - Always! I still do and will do! It has been the 'rock' (The story about those rocks next) in my life.

Maybe the hierarchy needs to be revisited, maybe it is 'culture' - but eventually it is all about You, I ....We and our imagination of this world.

Imagine: There is no 'i' in Happyness

Sometime ago, I had referred to managing happiness and then the movie The Pursuit of Happyness.

Finally - I did see the movie and I loved it.

I also realized that Chris Gardner's pursuit in itself was the happiness - not the job and not the many millions of dollars he went on to make eventually.

Millions have jobs and millions have many millions of dollars but not all those millions are happy. Gardner achieved happyness due to his:

• ability to dream to be a stock broker
• determination to realize that dream with hard work
  
• perseverance to pursue it through all hardships - extreme hardships
• drive to be there and provide for his son
• courage to face all odds stacked against him - from $21.33 in his account to having to show up at his most sought-after interview without a shirt
• sense of humor in adverse situations
  

Consequently, on taking a peek into my own life (Needless to say I have not had to overcome challenges even close to what Chris Gardner did), I do feel that every time I had to pursue something hard and overcome obstacles/challenges - I valued my achievements more and I was happier. But then I like it rough - coming to America is still my 'personal best' at that.

A sense of accomplishment? - maybe; A sense of purpose? - maybe; Discovery and/or retention of the right people? - Sure; Continuous discovery of oneself? - Yes....... Probably all these ingredients in different proportions.

I do understand that it is easy for me to say so since I have never known poverty - leave alone with my baby. Nevertheless, I do strongly believe its that journey that can bring out the best of us.

Imagine: the destination, live the journey