Happiness – Perhaps Monty Python Were Right All Along

You can experience regular happiness. Although it’s very easy for us to think that some people are just born happy, while others aren’t, it would appear from the research now being conducted, that this is not the case at all.
While it’s true that we currently don’t know the specifics of this, we DO know there is a growing body of work being conducted which is opening our eyes more than ever to the incredible power of emotions.

“Emotions are contagious”

is one of my favourite sayings. The more we can understand the impact our emotions play in our daily lives, the better off we, and those around us, will be.

What makes people happy?

There are three primary components which have been found to determine whether a person is able to be happy or not.
There three broad components can be called:

  1. a person’s happiness set point,
  2. a person’s circumstances and
  3. a person’s intentional activity

The first two elements (a person’s happiness set point and circumstances) have been examined thoroughly and found to be relatively immune from external influences and our capacity to exert change on their status. This does not mean that they are unimportant – far from it – since these two factors account for up to 60% of the total percentage which determines whether a person is happy.

This leaves ‘intentional activity’ representing 40% – a significant amount – which we are able to control and manipulate in our quest for happiness.

According to the available analysis currently, we actually have the power to change how we feel and improve our level of happiness by doing a few specific things on a regular basis.

What can we do to be happy?

Here it is.  Your guidebook to happiness:

  1. behavioural activities (such as exercise or performing acts of kindness),
  2. volitional activities (such as personal goal setting)
  3. and cognitive activities (such as having a positive outlook or thoughts).

Hence the need to look on the bright side of life!

It sounds so easy doesn’t it?
But as we know, there are often days when the odd of us achieving this ‘state of grace’ appears very much stacked against us.
However, help is at hand.
The answer is simple:
Firstly, build these three activities into your daily practice so they become part of who you are. Once they are a part of your routine, you won’t have to remember to do them; they’ll be a part of your personality.
Secondly, really listen to, and watch people around you to see if they are behaving contrary to these positive activities. If they are, you will likely find yourself affected to a certain extent by their negativity and glass half-empty view of things.
I mentioned before that emotions are contagious and you need to be aligning yourself with people who see the world through a positive lens.
This will make the world of difference.
Always look on the bright side of life!