03 May What if you could stop pursuing happiness and just…be happy?
via Entrepreneur.com by Tor Constantino
Happiness is overrated.
Don’t get me wrong, the “… pursuit of happiness …” is very quotable, it sounds great and looks great on paper — especially when that paper happens to be the Declaration of Independence, which is where the phrase can be found and was signed into existence by our forefathers.
However, it’s difficult to ignore that the Founding Fathers linked happiness to external conditions, given that their concept of happiness was intrinsically connected to the “pursuit” of an unsecured future that promises better prospects than the present.
Based on that definition, it seems that the pursuit of happiness has high variability and volatility based on a bunch of subjective, external factors.
Our western society and capitalist system is geared toward an aggressive “pursuit” — perhaps more commonly known as the Rat Race — where happiness is linked to the pursuit of a certain job title, salary, house or car model, graduate degree or any other number of random boxes that need to be checked to solve the happiness calculus.
Perhaps a more meaningful and achievable goal is “…life, liberty and contentment….”
Happiness and contentment are quite different. Contentment suggests a stable and unmoving state of being that is linked to internal factors rather than external circumstances.
But contentment requires intentional, directed effort. Here are five steps that anyone can take toward that goal.
1. Community.
We all have an internal need for the connection and relationship that can be found in a community where we are welcome and accepted, just as we are. That community might be in the workplace, but probably not.
Take a risk and volunteer at a charity organization in your area. Join a neighborhood theater, music group or a crew with Habitat for Humanity. Go to a local church, synagogue, mosque — or something else you believe in — that will allow you to connect with others. This is a critical step because it creates a necessary climate for the rest of the steps…
…keep reading the full & original article HERE