Eulalee Thompson
The ultimate pursuit of every living being is to be happy. But, if you are waiting on someone else (such as your spouse, child or friend) to make you happy, then you will have a very long wait.
And, if you are waiting to win a multimillion-dollar lottery before you can officially declare yourself 'happy', then you'll be surely disappointed. Psychologists who study this sort of thing - what makes people happy - say that being able to buy life's necessities is important to mental well-being and happiness but it turns out that extremely wealthy people are no happier than those who are able to purchase the necessities.
The conclusion: money can't buy you happiness, someone or something else can't really make you happy,
and getting that top job will not make you happy.
So, what's this happiness thing
anyway? It's a complex emotion, located somewhere 'within'. It's a process of discovering who you truly are; it's a process of self-actualisation.
Happy people don't think that they will bump into happiness 'some day', they make the choice to be happy. They walk around with the knowledge that they are in control of their lives and feel competent to satisfy their needs and reach their goals; in
other words, happy people are
fully self-actualised.
Self-actualised people
Psychologists (such as Maslow) have identified some peculiar
characteristics of fully self-actualised people:
They accept themselves and others.
They are problem-centred rather than self-centred.
They are realistic.
Have an air of detachment and strong privacy needs.
They operate in an autonomous and independent manner.
They identify with humankind and have a strong social interest.
They have strong intimate relationships with just a few special people rather than superficial relationships with many people.
They are creative and resistant to cultural conformity.
They transcend the environment rather than just cope with it.
Are you happy? This is your Christmas gift: Happiness.
Happy Holidays!
Send feedback to eulalee.
thompson@gleanerjm.com.
