In Pursuit of Happiness: Learning via Tom, Dick along with Harry
Despite the hype about completely new Year being a time to celebrate there is usually something about the end of a year which causes us to pause, sit back along with reflect. Perhaps which’s a realization which the clock is usually ticking, or maybe which is usually an instinct to leave your mark from the globe. Irrespective we often look to our achievements to evaluate whether we are on the right track along with if the celebrations should continue.
Do achievements actually lead to happiness, or does happiness lead to achievements? which question has the potential to have you going in circles faster than a dervish on a Redbull diet, yet which’s a question worth exploring. To do so we will borrow the ideas of a writer called Seligman…
Meet Tom – Tom recently moved to Jakarta, he prides himself in being a simple man with logical thinking, logic along with experience tell him which pleasures lead to positive emotions, which in turn lead to happiness. So Tom moulds his life around which belief along with lives ‘the pleasant life; a life driven by the need (often incessant) to experience pleasure.
Tom derives happiness via shopping, eating, drinking, parties, massages along with sex. If you still have trouble with the concept think Hollywood where Hugh Hefner mentors the Kardashians. Yes, enjoyable? Yes, luxurious? Yes, alluring? Yes, fun? Meaningful? Ermmmm…
Tom’s ‘pleasant life’ runs the motto ‘maximize pleasure along with minimize pain’ – which is usually humane as not many people might have which the different way around. So Tom feels positive emotions along with intentionally savours/enjoys these emotions. which is usually fine as long as which doesn’t spiral out of control; the pleasant life works in generating happiness, nevertheless for how long?
The challenges with ‘the pleasant life’ is usually we quickly become accustomed to things along with start taking them for granted; leading happiness to fade.
So you wonder – when does ‘the pleasant life’ lead to a sustainable form of happiness? which might be in combination with ‘the not bad life’ along with ‘the meaningful life’? ‘The pleasant life’, like the garnish on an exceptional meal, makes things look pretty without adding much to its taste. To explore ‘the not bad life’ along with ‘the meaningful life’ we meet our two different characters, Dick along with Harry.
Dick is usually your no nonsense, achievement driven individual, he is usually self-aware along with goal oriented, he knows his strengths along with has moulded his career, his relationships, his health – in fact he has moulded his entire life- to leverage these strengths. Being self-aware along with goal oriented has served Dick well in life, he is usually an achiever, which has a successful career he was shipped to Jakarta to deliver business results.
Dick lives ‘the not bad life’ whilst also knowing his boundaries along with his strengths. He sets engaging goals which pleasantly challenge him to tap into his inner resources – logically, emotionally along with creatively – Dick plays to his strengths because he plays to win.
Whilst engaged in goal achievement, Dick experiences a kind of happiness called ‘flow’, he gets so engrossed in his targets which he normally loses track of time along with the globe melts away, leaving him pleasantly satisfied at the end of a day. which feeling keeps on as long as the goal is usually not achieved, nevertheless what happens once the goal is usually achieved? Dick suddenly feels empty, wondering currently what? What more is usually there to life? He most likely jumps into another project, defines another goal to achieve – hence his reputation as the achiever, Dick leaves behind him a trail of achievements nevertheless fails to see their purpose. which is usually where Dick could learn a thing or two via Harry.
Harry is usually just like Dick, however takes ‘the not bad life’ a step ahead. Whilst he is usually known to savour the pleasures in life, he has his priorities right – he is usually a self-aware individual who knows his strengths along with better yet he has also taken the time to articulate his purpose in life, so he uses his strengths to belong to a greater, more worthwhile cause. Harry lives ‘the meaningful life’.
The meaningful life encourages you to find a sense of purpose beyond achievement for achievement’s sake; which encourages you to ask yourself why certain goals are important, how they are worthwhile along with what you contribute to society by achieving them. Essentially, the meaningful life provides the most sustainable form of happiness as which gives all aspects of life a sense of direction to ensure which each goal you achieve contributes towards your purpose in life.
Conclusion
Happiness is usually intertwined with achievement provided achievement includes a greater purpose to which. So, why not do something different which year? Set out to find your purpose along with work backwards to set goals which align with which purpose.
How?
Identify your character strengths through which free strengths assessment tool:
http://www.authentichappiness.sas.upenn.edu/Tests/SameAnswers_t.aspx?id=310
Then, identify your purpose:
• Make a table with several columns, labelling them Family & Relationships, Work, Community, Health & Wellbeing along with Physical/Material Environment.
• List positive words you might use to describe your ideal life in each of the areas from the appropriate column.
• Review all the columns along with identify all the words which have similar/common meanings, list them down separately.
• Make an actionable mission statement using these words you listed, ensure your statement is usually beneficial to different people including yourself.
• Ask yourself, ‘How can I use my strengths to deliver which mission in each area of my life?’ Make which a goal.
• Then act accordingly…
along with if things feel awkward at first remember ‘a ship in harbour is usually safe-nevertheless which’s not what ships are for.’
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In Pursuit of Happiness: Learning via Tom, Dick along with Harry
In Pursuit of Happiness: Learning via Tom, Dick along with Harry