The 5 Myths of Happiness
Sometimes in our pursuit of happiness we fall into the belief and hope that the goals we aspired to when younger, such as a great job, wealth, marrying the love of your life or even having kids, that we would then guarantee ourselves fulfilment in happiness forever. However, there seems to be no magic equation to happiness, which goes without saying of course. It’s really more about how we meet these moments and jump at them like valuable opportunities with a set frame of mind that we can see about unlocking that happiness.
1. Happy people are off-putting
Myth number one! Being constantly bubbly, cheerful and positive does not put people off but in fact makes you appear far more likable to others. Happier people are seen as more approachable and socially aware, and even physically attractive. Being happy and positive can secure you help from your colleagues and friends and may even go toward fulfilment within your marriage and ultimately saving it if it’s in rough waters.
2. Releasing anger is good for happiness
Exploding your anger outward by screaming, slamming things shut, throwing things or punching your pillow does not help to relieve that anger and move you closer to happiness but in actual fact fuels this anger even more!
Studies from Scientific American actually show that we feel because of the way we act so actually putting a smile on your face even though you feel angry or upset can go a long way to actually have you feeling better in no time.
There is a big misconception we are often taught growing up that fighting for the dream career or the ultimate job will secure us with not only satisfaction and safety but also happiness. This is a myth. Depending on the job, often acquiring the dream job can result in just a simple phase of happiness that soon dissipates. A mistake here would be to look elsewhere and throw away a perfectly good job. We humans have an uncanny ability to adapt to nearly all kinds of situations so we might mistake this deflation for lack of interest and happiness. Don’t give up. Happiness is not a singular moment and you can’t expect it to surround that dream job for the entire time you keep it but instead it is the result of the way you approach each day, in everyday opportunities.
4. I’ll be Happy When I’m married to the Right Person
A popular myth is that we will find happiness with the perfect partner and when we finally tie the knot. Yes, many of us will experience happiness in our marriages but that intense feeling we first experience will not last as long as we believe it will. Some studies such as the study on happiness within marriage by Wiley, shows that this feeling of elation within a marriage can last around 2 years on average and many of us may think that if the spark seems to have disappeared after this period we should think about breaking up. This is perfectly normal.
5. My better years are behind me
Does happiness really decline with age? When we lose sight of youth and opportunities and the horizon of our life seems to dwindle are we moving further and further away from the best years of our lives? It’ll be interesting to know that research from the Warwick University by Dr Saverio Stranges, has confirmed that older people are actually far more satisfied and even happier than their younger counterparts.
The stresses and learning years of our youth contrast greatly with the wisdom and knowledge we obtain in later years and it is because of this that we learn to savour positive moments and choose not to dwell; as we did when we were younger, on those negative moments.
Dear Readers,
What ways can we approach life in general in our pursuit of happiness?
Share your help and idea’s by posting a comment below!
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