Business of LifeI just love it when even the Wall St Journal, recognizing there's been an explosion of research in what brings us happiness is now doing a series on it, Pursuing Happiness.
Some gleanings:
"Our emotional buoyancy is genetically set within a range, which acts as an anchor to our enthusiasm in good times and as a balloon in bad... This creates a happiness paradox: We may imagine we couldn't survive the end of a marriage or death of a family member, yet our innate "psychological immune system" is well equipped to greet these disasters when they occur, says Daniel Gilbert, a researcher at the department of psychology at Harvard University. The flip side is that things we imagine will make us happy -- a new car, a new career or a new spouse -- may give some temporary elation, but eventually the exhilaration fades.
Happier people tend to have a few key traits in common: they believe in causes larger than themselves; they are more optimistic; they don't look to material wealth for fulfillment; and they have many meaningful relationships. "They tend to be more resilient ... more flexible and more focused on the present and the future, not the past, says Gordon Parker, psychiatrist and executive director of Black Dog Institute, a Sydney-based facility for treating mood disorders.
The key to finding fulfillment at work -- and to finding overall greater happiness -- is "really figuring out what you love to do, and do that."
Posted by Jill Fallon at November 10, 2004 02:56 PM | PermalinkLast summer, I did something really wonderful, in a way that's hard to explain ... I went to a 7-day silent retreat. It was a "led" retreat, meaning that we had morning and evening presentations each day that would deepen our reflection. The subject of the retreat was "How To Live Our Deepest Desire." Part of the wisdom I came away with was the importance of living in the moment (nothing new about that, but the experience of living in the moment is forever new). And stopping our busy lives a moment to become aware of the elements -- earth, air, fire and water -- can bring us into the present in a holy way. In this magnificent fall weather, I remember this as I feel the wind, moist and dry air, falling temperature, the October sunsets, the earthy smell of leaves and how they rustleand fly in the gale. I remember to pause and luxuriate each time I shower, or feel the burst of flame when I make a fire in my fireplace. This to me was very meaningful guidance in accessing the part of each of us that is forever joyful and alive.. Elizabeth Tener
Posted by: Elizabeth Tener at November 10, 2004 10:42 PM