19 Aug What you REALLY need to be happy!
Keep things simple and keep life happy…I reckon this could be a pretty good motto for life.
Too often, as I've said before, too many of us overcomplicate things; and in doing so we rob ourselves of health, happiness and a good quality of life.
So check out this nice article from The Huffington Post in which writer Erin Cox cuts through the complexities and leaves us with some nice, simple strategies for living with happiness each and every day…
Only one in three Americans describes themselves as "very happy" according to a Harris Poll. In a country with so much material wealth and comfort, shouldn't we be happier? Many experts cite economic woes contributing to more stress and overall dissatisfaction, but I'd like to suggest my own ideas here.
Happiness is found in simple things, and that is something many of us have lost touch with. I have friends who have had the opportunity to volunteer in third-world countries and they have all commented on how happy most people appeared, despite such abject poverty. These underprivileged people gave freely of the little material they had and appeared to find happiness in family, nature and community. I am sure the adults have a level of constant stress related to protecting and feeding their families, so I'm not saying that we should ditch our lovely homes, massive supermarkets, clean drinking water and sanitation. What I am saying is that we have an opportunity to embrace the simple joys, leading to a peaceful joy, while embracing and living our passion in life, which can lead to a whole new level of satisfaction and fulfillment.
Here is what I see as the progression of happiness:
Taking pleasure in simple joys and being in awe of the beauty that surrounds us. This means appreciating a sunrise, savoring a cup of coffee, snuggling with a child, hugging your friend or smelling a flower. Really, the basis of this simple joy is being grateful and feeling thankful as you notice all the kind people, beautiful sights, and blessings that surround you. This is what people in third-world countries often do so well and we tend to forget about.
Making enough money to cover basic economic needs. An article in Forbes describes how researches at Princeton analyzed a Gallup study (which surveyed more than 450,000 U.S. households), and found that happiness increased in participants as their incomes increased… up to $75,000. There is no increase in happiness after earning more than that. This tells me that the stress of not having enough to pay for bills, groceries and family activities can cause our happiness to be impacted, but that wealth doesn't bring happiness either…
…keep reading the full & original article HERE