Key Messages
How To Find Happiness: The Science Behind Different Approaches To A Meaningful Life
Are you feeling unfulfilled and unsatisfied with life? If so, then it’s time to take the necessary steps to find true happiness.
That’s where the Happier Book Summary comes in.
It explains what happiness really is and provides the necessary guidance to help you walk the path towards it.
You’ll learn why having meaningful emotions is essential for a happy life, how studying can bring love into everything you do, and why understanding what true fulfillment means is so important.
Once you’ve read this book, you’ll know exactly how to shift your thinking and go on the journey of finding true happiness.
Don’t settle for anything less – get out there and start walking down the path of a happier, more fulfilled life.
Why Pursuing Happiness Is The Gateway To Success
The idea that happiness is a valid life goal has been around since biblical times, and still stands strong today.
Most people will agree that regardless of whether they are working towards money or any other external goal, the ultimate aim is to achieve happiness.
Other goals, such as fame, power or respect are simply steps on the path to happiness.
Research conducted by psychologists Sonja Lyubomirsky, Ed Diener and Laura King have found that happy people tend to do better in different areas of their lives, such as relationships, health and finance.
Why is this? It may be because people with a positive outlook tend to see the world in a more optimistic light – thus opening themselves up to all kinds of possibilities for success.
It’s clear that not just is pursuing happiness an age-old tradition but it has also proven itself to be a formidable contributor to success.
By aiming for true happiness in our lives we can create an environment which makes us open to good things happening – greatly increasing our chances for success!
The Pursuit Of Happiness Requires Letting In Positive Emotions And Finding Life Meaningful
The secret to a happy, fulfilled life is found in an understanding and appreciation for pleasure and meaning.
Pleasure is what motivates us and spurs us into action.
Without it, we’d have no motivation to pursue anything that could potentially lead to happiness.
And when combined with meaningful experiences, true joy can be obtained from the pursuit of our goals.
Nathaniel Branden emphasizes the importance of pleasure in achieving satisfaction and wellbeing in life.
Jealousy, for example, is one of the most powerful emotions that pushes people to strive for better than those around them; whereas exhilaration motivates us to put ourselves out there and do something that provides a rush—both powerful expressions of pleasure!
But mere pleasure isn’t enough—it needs to be accompanied by meaning in order to produce true happiness.
Buying into high end drugs or becoming a priest without any emotional ties might bring great elation but it certainly won’t translate into contentment over time if there is no deeper sense of fulfillment attached to its purpose.
For this reason, our pursuits need both these factors working hand-in-hand; they are necessary ingredients for living a truly hearty and happy life.
When this synthesis between pleasure and meaning comes together, we can start making progress towards full-blown joy!
Striving For Happiness: Balancing Present Pleasure And Future Benefit For Lasting Satisfaction
One key to happiness is understanding that both the present and the future matter.
You need to find a balance between living for the now and planning ahead if you want to find true, lasting joy.
As it turns out, people differ in how they view their present and future lives, falling into one of four groups.
Hedonists prioritize pleasure and immediate satisfaction; nihilists have no interest in life; those who live for the future endure current suffering in pursuit of a brighter tomorrow; and a fourth group finds contentment through mindful effort today that also yields gains down the road.
This last approach will lead to real happiness in time, whereas those who constantly postpone happiness often experience what we might call “no pain, no gain” disenchantment – such as with school children who are working hard yet not nearly enjoying their successes.
It stands to reason then, that striking the right balance between making sure one can experience joy now while also investing in a happy future is an essential part of finding satisfaction and well-being.
Without this equilibrium – success is likely to be short-lived or unattainable.
To put it simply: Happiness requires a balanced approach to the present and future.
Finding Meaning In Life Through The Pursuit Of Self-Concordant Goals
Happiness comes from having a specific purpose and setting the appropriate goals that will help you achieve it.
It’s important to have goals that not only line up with the meanings of life, but also bring about pleasure in the present moment.
This is why self-concordant goals are so important – they come straight from your needs and desires, and not those of others, making them an honest expression of yourself.
Once you’ve identified your purpose, it’s essential to break it down into short-term objectives that will put you closer to your goal.
For instance, if your purpose is to help animals, you could start by volunteering at a local animal shelter or participating in animal rights protests.
Of course, it helps to add deadlines to these smaller tasks – split them into three months/one year/five years plans – as this will keep you motivated and moving forward with your long-term ambition.
With due dedication and patience, any desired state of happiness may be achieved.
Discover Your True Self-Interests For A Fulfilling And Motivating Learning Experience
Going to school can be a daunting prospect, but it doesn’t have to be.
Rather than dreading gruelling all-nighters spent trying to absorb the material, enjoy learning by focusing on what you truly love and care about!
Taking this approach will make studying a more pleasurable experience, while also helping to boost your motivation.
By reflecting on how happy your chosen field makes you, you can find out what your true interests are and pick subjects that bring joy instead of startment.
Think of knowledge acquisition as if were akin to making love – the foreplay being research and reading, followed by an end goal in mind.
If your goal is learning Japanese for instance, find a teacher whose teaching methods are engaging and enjoyable rather than dull.
The concept of flow is another great way to maximise success during the learning process.
Developed by psychologist Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi, flow occurs when you become so immersed in an activity that anxiety and stress slip away entirely.
Of course it’s important not to push yourself too hard or too fast though; try stay in your comfort zone as much as possible for best results!
Discovering Your Calling: How The Meaning, Pleasure And Strength Test Can Help You Find Fulfilling Work
When it comes to finding a career path that fits your passions, we all can agree that it’s a challenging task.
But in the pursuit of happiness, taking the time to discover what you really want to do every day is most certainly worth it.
We can look to psychologist Amy Wrzesniewski as an example, who found that those who consider their jobs their vocation find rewards solely within the job itself.
Rather than being motivated by factors such as money, promotions and fame, these people are content simply because they enjoy what they are doing for a living.
A way to locate your calling is through something called the Meaning, Pleasure and Strength Test (MPS).
Start by creating lists of things you find meaningful, pleasurable and areas of strength.
From there, recognize any overlaps and ask yourself more questions about other aspects of your life that may also excite you.
It might be health-focused activities or outdoor hobbies – any activity which does not require an education system or professional placement tests could help set you on the right path for achieving contentment in your career.
So if you’re seeking happiness in your work-life balance – finding a career route which aligns with your passions can make all the difference!
The Power Of Deep Connections: How Investing In Relationships Can Improve Your Happiness
When it comes to developing the kind of meaningful relationships in your life that result in real happiness, the effort you put in makes all the difference.
This is something supported by the positive psychologists, Ed Diener and Martin Seligman, who noted that one of the main differences between those who felt their lives were truly happy and those who were not so satisfied was that those with a deeper sense of well-being had strong circles of family, friends and/or romantic partners.
Being part of a relationship –be it familial or romantic—doesn’t just offer companionship; it also gives us a chance to share our thoughts, feelings, and experiences – providing both pleasure as well as meaning.
To be sure, having these kinds of deep social relationships leads to significant increases in overall happiness.
It goes without saying though that these type of relationships should not just be focused on pleasure and lust if they are going to result in real happiness – but rather have elements of both pleasure and meaningfulness.
Curiously enough David Myers – psychology professor – determined that a healthy balance between these two aspects is actually one of the best predictors for lasting happiness.
Therefore if you’re really looking to increase your overall joy it can be regained through making sure you cultivate long-lasting meaningful relationships – with family members as well as partners alike – because when we love each other without conditions (and feel loved for exactly being ourselves) it’s only natural for us to find true pleasure in life.
Wrap Up
Happier is a great book that takes a deep look into how to increase your overall happiness.
The key message in this book is simple yet powerful: Happiness is the greatest human goal, and anyone can find it by identifying what matters in their life.
The author provides actionable advice on how to boost your happiness level.
Some of these tips include writing a list of things that bring you joy and making it a habit to focus on two or three of those “happiness boosters” every month.
This will allow you to create more rituals in your life that are specifically designed around increasing one’s happiness.
To sum up, Happier helps readers identify objectives and actions they can take on to make their life more fulfilling.
If followed through, this book has the potential to lead readers closer to achieving their ultimate wishes- all while feeling happier during the process!
