Keys to happiness- does that even exist? As long as the universe has existed, for all living things, not just humans, every struggle, every effort, and every single aorta of energy expended has been in pursuit of one single entity – Happiness.
But hold on.
What is Happiness?
Is there even a single universal definition of the concept or it has different meanings for every unique individual?
Most importantly, are there specific, universal secret(s) to attaining happiness in life?
Now to the first question. I am sure a quick Google search will give you at least a few 1000 definitions of ”happiness”.
However, reading through all the seemingly varied definitions with a deeper connection might reveal a universal theme running through.
What is this universal theme? We will get to it a bit.
To set a conducive scenery to truly understand the concept of happiness, I would like to share something called the 4 levels of happiness;
The Four Levels Of Happiness
Level 1 (Laetus): happiness from material things
Level 2 (Felix): happiness from ego satisfaction
Level 3 (Beutitudo): happiness arising from imparting other people’s lives positively and making the world a better place
Level 4 (Sublime Beautitudo): ultimate perfect happiness
Even though there are four levels which might seem diverged, these are all a piece of the whole and for every human being that has ever lived, a combination of all three levels is often needed in varying degrees to attain the ultimate level four happiness
So back to the question;
What is happiness?
It is a true sense of positivity, contentment, joy, and satisfaction that arises from the perception of fulfillment. Fulfillment could be in the form laetus, felix or beuatitudo, but most often a combination of all.
Are there specific universal secrets to happiness?
In my attempt to answer this question, based on critical meditation and learning from other “expects” I established what I call the Three Ultimate Keys To Happiness. Here they are:
Purpose
A sense of purpose, a calling, the feeling that your life and what you do has a meaning and contribute to a higher purpose is the ultimate key to happiness, including a sense of connection to a higher Power or Cosmetic Being. Most people don’t realise this as it most often presents in subtle forms. For instance, how do you feel when your spouse acknowledges you for doing a chore, cooking a delicious meal and just being a good partner? Compare that to when you thoughtfully put in energy and do something and the person does not even seem to notice. Or think about the feeling you get when you help a stranger in a really bad situation and their heartfelt gratitude is so apparent on their face that you are almost in tears. Purpose, meaning, calling, and a connection to a higher power, all point to one thing- my life matters!
Do not pursue perfection
One of the greatest thieves of happiness is that enough is never enough for most people. It seems our brains are naturally wired not just to always want more, better, and bigger; but desire everything in its flawless state. So no matter how much we achieve, no matter how far we have come, or what we have, we tend to focus on what is missing and create a constant sense of lack, failure, and nothingness. We tend to focus on the half-empty class instead of the half-full glass. Perfection is not in human nature and if your happiness is dependent on the absence of mistakes, then you will never truly be happy. The most essential point is to learn from your mistakes and strive to be better while celebrating your progress
Live in the moment
Life is a collage of memories and moments. Moments created with other beautiful creatures of God. They may be friends, family, colleagues, or even enemies. Life is like a waveform with troughs and crests. It is never smooth sailing. Most importantly life is a continuum of the past, present, and future. The past you can learn from but cannot touch. The future is far beyond your reach but is affected by what you do in the present which is all you have right now- The present. To have the ability to live fully and enjoy each moment as it comes while measuredly acknowledging its possible impact on the future is essential to living a life of happiness
On this note, I believe you have discovered a few hacks to a happy life. If you have, do leave a comment. If not still leave a comment and share with us what your perspective is.
Written by: Dr Josiah Nang-Bayi
Author: www.moneyfarmacademy.com
@josiah_nangbayi
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