Aristotle said: ‘Happiness is the meaning and the purpose of life; the whole aim and end of human existence.’
How is that going for you these days?
Here’s a couple of stats:
1 in 5 American women are on anti-depressants (do we think it’s different in any other country?)
6 million men start on them each year
<30% of people report being deeply happy
The World Health Organization (WHO) said that by 2020, that’s this year, depression would be second only to heart disease in the global burden of illness – and this was all before Covid-19 hit us!
We all want to be happy AND we struggle to do it, especially now.
I recently studied with Marci Shimoff, who authored this book, and I received my certification to train and coach on her content which is all about 21 habits you and I can do, to actually increase our happiness.
But first, what does it mean to be happy for no reason? Marci says: “When you’re happy for no reason, you’re unconditionally happy. It’s not that your life always looks perfect –
it’s just that however it looks, you’ll still be happy.”
She has created a happiness continuum and it goes like this:
There’s Unhappy on the far left – I think we all know what that is.
Moving to the right, next is Happy for Bad Reason – we feel happy as a result of an unhealthy addiction (wine, shopping, binge-watching); the happy feeling goes away as soon as the pleasure from the addiction goes away.
Continuing to the right is Happy for Good Reason – we feel happy because something good has happened to us (promotion at work, the kids being down for the night, a new car, a vacation); this definitely feels good but the happy feeling is fleeting.
Lastly, there’s Happy for No Reason – this is an inner state of peace and well-being, regardless of the circumstances in our lives.
The cool thing about this last state is that it is not determined by external circumstances. The idea that we can be happy regardless of the particulars of our world is extremely attractive, especially in these pandemic times.
Click here to download a happiness questionnaire that’ll pinpoint exactly where you are on this continuum.
And stay tuned for my upcoming, free masterclass where I’ll share the concept of the 21 happiness habits, and give you a few to get started on right away.
Can’t wait? Schedule a free 15-minute coaching call with me to start the conversation.
Is there ONE thing you can do now to improve your happiness? Tell me about it in the comments.
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