happiness 3

As a teenager, I asked my mother “What is the aim of life?” She said, “To be happy and to make others happy.” This was my gospel for a decade. It made sense. It even aligned with my name (Anand = happiness). In my twenties, I was confused that happiness has tradeoffs, like: Long term (study hard) vs short term (party hard) Self (e.g. save diligently) vs others (gift generously) Getting what we like (e.g. favorite food, ambitiousness) vs liking what we get (e.g. any food, gratitude, lower standards) Outcome (e.g. wealth) vs process (e.g. enjoying work) By my thirties, I felt happiness is the intersection of pleasure and meaning. So I tried to be aware of and balance both. ...

忙しいほど幸せ sounds beautiful. Help me break it down, letter by letter. Sing the beauty of the strokes, the words, and their meaning. (I don’t really mean sing. I mean, write in a way that’d really make me appreciate the beauty. But without going overboard. I mean, some wicked humor is always welcome! In fact, I’d love for you to think about who are some of the best authors who achieve this balance, and write in THEIR style.) ...

Advice from Tal Ben-Shahar, who teaches a Harvard class “Positive Psychology”, or how to get happy. 1. Give yourself permission to be human. When we accept emotions – such as fear, sadness, or anxiety – as natural, we are more likely to overcome them. Rejecting our emotions, positive or negative, leads to frustration and unhappiness. 2. Happiness lies at the intersection between pleasure and meaning. Whether at work or at home, the goal is to engage in activities that are both personally significant and enjoyable. When this is not feasible, make sure you have happiness boosters, moments throughout the week that provide you with both pleasure and meaning. ...