The foolish man seeks happiness in the distance, the wise grows it under his feet.
- James Oppenheim
- James Oppenheim
What good is it to feel good? A group of researchers at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill have this to offer:
"Our science to date tells us that genuine positive emotions may in fact be the single most important active ingredient in this recipe for flourishing. When this ingredient is lacking, or in poor supply - people get stuck. They lose their freedom of choice. They become stagnant and painfully predictable. But when this ingredient is in ample supply - people take off. They become generative, creative, resilient, ripe with possibility and beautifully unpredictable. Our research team is working to show how it is that being moved by positive emotions can move you forward, and not only lift you to your higher ground, but also create a world that is worth giving to our children."
Senia Maymin, is the editor of Positive Psychology News Daily and in her blog post on Friday, wrote about the AfterLife. The "after this" and "after that" life where we promise to do all of the things we keep meaning to do. She asks, "what are you doing in the now-life to make yourself happy?"
I hear you: "You mean it's not enough that I floss everyday, drink 8 glasses of water, save my money for taxes and retirement, submit to a colonoscopy and laugh at my bosses pointless humor? I have to be happy while doing it?"
I'm sure no one would fault you for not being able to reach the state of joy while having a colonoscopy, but if you are able to hold thoughts of any kind of future that is beyond the next 60 minutes, don't you have something to be happy about in this moment?
All it takes is a little practice. If you've had a yoga practice for any length of time, standing or sitting up straight just feels much better than slouching. It's quite the same with emotions.
If you make it a practice to complain and criticize, you'll find a circle of like-minded people and circumstances gathering around you. Meet the world with an open heart and always reach for a happier thought, even if it's a fraction of an inch up the emotional scale, and the grumps start to turn away or turn into happy people.
Not convinced?
Optimists Live Longer
What kind of a Tater are you?
"Our science to date tells us that genuine positive emotions may in fact be the single most important active ingredient in this recipe for flourishing. When this ingredient is lacking, or in poor supply - people get stuck. They lose their freedom of choice. They become stagnant and painfully predictable. But when this ingredient is in ample supply - people take off. They become generative, creative, resilient, ripe with possibility and beautifully unpredictable. Our research team is working to show how it is that being moved by positive emotions can move you forward, and not only lift you to your higher ground, but also create a world that is worth giving to our children."
Senia Maymin, is the editor of Positive Psychology News Daily and in her blog post on Friday, wrote about the AfterLife. The "after this" and "after that" life where we promise to do all of the things we keep meaning to do. She asks, "what are you doing in the now-life to make yourself happy?"
I hear you: "You mean it's not enough that I floss everyday, drink 8 glasses of water, save my money for taxes and retirement, submit to a colonoscopy and laugh at my bosses pointless humor? I have to be happy while doing it?"
I'm sure no one would fault you for not being able to reach the state of joy while having a colonoscopy, but if you are able to hold thoughts of any kind of future that is beyond the next 60 minutes, don't you have something to be happy about in this moment?
All it takes is a little practice. If you've had a yoga practice for any length of time, standing or sitting up straight just feels much better than slouching. It's quite the same with emotions.
If you make it a practice to complain and criticize, you'll find a circle of like-minded people and circumstances gathering around you. Meet the world with an open heart and always reach for a happier thought, even if it's a fraction of an inch up the emotional scale, and the grumps start to turn away or turn into happy people.
Not convinced?
Optimists Live Longer
What kind of a Tater are you?
Illustration:Threadless T-shirts