HAPPINESS IS NOT ENOUGH
You don’t become happy by pursuing happiness. You become happy by living a life that means something.
So here’s what happiness is really like, according to some recent research: it’s about being a “taker” rather than a “giver.” It’s about satisfying your needs and wants, so people who are happy are usually in good physical shape and can afford to buy the things they need and want. They usually also have lower levels of stress and worry in their lives.
So essentially, we’re happy when we get what we want.
This is a problem only when our happiness outweighs the meaning in our lives
Happiness without meaning characterizes a relatively shallow, self-absorbed or even selfish life, in which things go well, needs and desire are easily satisfied, and difficult or taxing entanglements are avoided,
Pursuit of meaning is what makes human beings uniquely human. By putting aside our selfish interests to serve someone or something larger than ourselves -- by devoting our lives to "giving" rather than "taking" -- we are not only expressing our fundamental humanity, but are also acknowledging that that there is more to the good life than the pursuit of simple happiness.
It is the very pursuit of happiness that thwarts happiness.
Finding (and doing) what makes you come alive changes everything
Your purpose in life is to find and do the things that make you smile, laugh and lose yourself.
Even if you aren’t sure yet, move into the exploration and experimentation phase of your life and enjoy the journey.
Pursue something so important that even if you fail, the world is better off with you having tried.
Three ways for finding meaning in our lives:
- By creating a work or doing a deed
- By experiencing something or encountering someone
- By the attitude we take toward unavoidable suffering