The Happiness Formula
Proven practices to elevate your happiness.
I used to believe that I could find happiness on an exotic trip or by earning more money and buying more things.
It didn’t take me long to realise that buying experiences and material wares only give us a temporary boost of happiness, we soon forget about the previous purchase and start grasping after the next big thing.
As humans we are hardwired to always want more, there are a few reasons why we are always striving for greater things:
- Evolutionary Instinct: Our Ancestors had to constantly hunt for more to ensure their survival. We have inherited this instinct for desperately seeking resources and security, but nowadays in a world where most of us are living quite comfortably, it’s not really necessary.
- Comparative Nature: As humans we always tend to compare ourselves to others whether it’s material possessions, accolades or social status. This constant comparing has been made worse by the connected world we live in, where social media has made it almost addictive to show off our gains in life.
- Hedonistic Adaptation: We have a tendency to adapt to positive or negative situations over time. This means that even if we achieve what we were going after, the sense of excitement wanes over time as we get used to the new normal.
I’ve learnt over the years that happiness cannot be found externally it can only come from within.
For us to become truly happy there is a formula. We have to follow this formula and build strong daily habits to experience inner peace and happiness. Like anything worth doing it’s hard work but if we can achieve a great sense of happiness and wellbeing it’s worth the effort.
Here are the four pillars of happiness:
- Self Care
As we get older we have to start taking care of our bodies and minds.
Take time out for yourself, read, walk in nature and treat yourself.
We should try to feed our bodies with a balanced nutritious diet, exercise daily and make time for meditation.
- Living in the present
Eckhart Tolle the master of living in the present said
“If you are not living this moment, you are not really living.”
We spend so much of our time living in the past or worrying about the future that we forget to embrace and enjoy the present moment.
We can only be truly happy in the here and now.
- Acceptance
To truly be happy we have to accept our physical impermanence in this world.
Every single person on this earth is mortal we are all on the same journey as one.
Knowing that we are not going to be here forever and that nothing is permanent can have a transformative effect on how we live and helps us embrace and cherish every special moment on this beautiful planet.
We cannot live without dying…we cannot die without living.
- Positive Thinking
Positive thinking can have a transformative effect on our happiness and general wellbeing. We have to learn to shift our mindset to have a positive outlook.
To make this shift we have to practice gratitude daily this helps us focus on the positive aspects of our lives.
I find writing down 5 things that I am thankful for every day helps to build the habit.
Happiness is within us all we just have to look inside to find it.
