HAPPY

The more we wish to be happier the unhappier we get but the more we work to be happier, the happier we get.

But what is the work and does the work, work?

To be happy research shows people need enjoyment, satisfaction and purpose. But in a “me before we” society we often misunderstand "purpose". The paradox is to have purpose we first need unhappiness; we need to suffer and we need to understand others’ suffering. If our energy goes into avoiding unhappiness, we may never really understand suffering and hence never find true happiness.

Being happy and stopping being unhappy are not the same thing…

Take the example of money. If we have none and get some it stops us from feeling unhappy. But if we do not understand the difference between happy and unhappy, we may carry on chasing money all our lives, believing money makes us happy then wonder why we are rich and miserable. But, if we make money helping others and helping them to help us all, we get rich and get happy.

Our pain and the pain of others can drive our purpose, to help others and let others help us. The greatest gift we can give is to also let our fellow humans stop their pain by helping us stop ours.

Happiness requires work, not just wishes and the work is to cocreate a “we before me” society.

#beinghuman #happiness #work