happiness

Hmmmm. Going round and round and trying to figure out how to just write about this silly little article I read yesterday about the road to a happier life. There were five main points made in the article. How about a little outline to get it all out there-

1. Gratitude. Sum it all up in one word, gratitude is all about remembering what we have. Short but oh so sweet.

2. Choosing to be satisfied. Making a decision and allowing yourself to be OK with that decision rather than choosing to second guess yourself or compare yourself to others. Comparing yourself to others is a recipe for unhappiness most of the time, that is for certain. It's about making a decision to buy a certain car, going for it, and then enjoying that car rather than looking around at "better" cars for the next ten years and wishing you had one of those. Or how about just never getting around to buying one at all because none of them will ever be good enough? The grass is always greener syndrome.

3. Savor the moment. I took this to mean, be in the moment, be present. The author meant a little of that but also meant basically take time to smell the roses. Sit back and relax and while you are at it, notice that you are relaxing, enjoy it. Don't let that chocolate bar pass you by without noticing that you are in fact eating it.

4. Spread out the joy. Easy peasy. Don't *buy* every single thing at the same time and leave nothing for a rainy day.

5. Focus on your circle. Meaning, remember to spend time with loved ones. Short but sweet. Too many people spend time chasing money and things and forget to connect with others when they can.

There were two books mentioned in the article that looked interesting. The Paradox of Choice is about having more and more choices and being less and less satisfied, which seems to be a meme I have been seeing more and more of lately. The second book of interest to me was the Progress Paradox. This one is also about how we seem to be making more and "progress" but people seem to be unhappier than ever. Not sure what I think about this. I sometimes wonder if happiness is so subjective it is impossible to gauge it in others and to write a book about the seeming lack of happiness observed in others is- well- subjective as well. Still, both look like interesting commentaries on modern life.