Thanks for sharing your thoughts Tom!

In my opinion, it really depends on who you are as a person.

There are always some factors in your life that you can directly control. For me, one of those is the amount of sleep I get. I am 99% responsible for how much “tiredness” impacts my happiness, which is why I focus on getting enough sleep.

But some things are beyond my control, and I believe they should be. It’s got something to do with your comfort zone/bubble of happiness. You may be able to remove all negative factors from your life, but that would mean that you’ll be living in a bubble without any risk, thrills or excitement.

In the end, no matter how hard you try, unhappiness is a part of life. I find it’s best to embrace this part, and learn to go with the flow.

Being aware of this part really helps here though, hence why I track my happiness. 🙂

Thanks again for sharing!

Hugo

I agree with all of the positive aspects mentioned (meaning, gratitude/appreciation, acceptance, hedonism, short-term long-term, true to self’s values, etc.) but I also take another angle at the subject which none of your experts directly mentioned: the absence or reduction of the things which make us unhappy.

If happiness is an enhanced state of wellbeing, what are the things that diminish this state? Or in other words, what are the things that make us unhappy? If we removed or reduced the things that produce our unhappiness, would we by default be happier?

For myself, I’ve compiled a list of over 50 things that contribute to my diminishing state of wellbeing. I call them my Termites of Happiness (from behavioral and cognitive patterns, self-worth issues, guilt, anxiety, areas of dissatisfaction, and many other things). I have found as I eliminate or reduce these termites, I have become happier.

How do you remove guilt, shameful/embarrassing memories, anxiety, self-worth issues, and all the other things that diminish happiness? If you personally resolve these, wouldn’t you experience your best and happiest life?

Thank you for your efforts towards a happier world!

Tom Gregoire

That is great. I think you have a good balance between short and long-term happiness. Watching TV and playing games might not make you feel productive, but if you enjoyed it and don’t over-indulge, then it’s nothing to feel bad about! 🙂 It’s all about finding your balance.