How to be happy is a question that some of the best researchers in the world have tried to answer, and universities have studied it for years. Before you look for a recipe, try this: read the ten statements below slowly and notice which ones you agree with. Together they say more about happiness than most tips lists, and they all point to the same place: you.
Ten honest truths about being happy
- There are people who are happier than you and people who are less happy than you.
- There are times when you will be happier and times when you will be less happy.
- The same emotion can make you happy or unhappy depending on the day.
- Some places and settings will make you happier, and others will make you less so.
- Some people make you happier with their company, and others, the toxic ones, make you unhappy.
- Some jobs will give you a lot of happiness and others will make you suffer terribly. The simplest way to check yours is the professional wheel of life.
- In general, some things add to your happiness and others take it away.
- Even something that makes you very happy today can make life impossible in a while.
- Some books, experts and schools sell you a ready-made happiness, and others help you work on your own.
- In the end your happiness depends on you, and only you know it.
What to do with this list
If you reached the last line, you have probably understood that you are the one responsible for looking for and managing your own happiness. Remember that, so basic and so important, before someone else sells you theirs. Then pick one of the ten statements that struck a nerve and ask yourself three questions: what would change if this were true for me, what is one small test I can run this week, and who or what should I spend more time with?
Three ways to get started
- Score where you are. The wheel of life shows your eight areas on one page.
- Clarify what matters. Try a values exercise before you decide what to change.
- Be wary of promises. Read the myths about happiness before you buy any course.
Quick answers
Is it possible to be happy all the time?
No, and you do not need to be. Happiness comes and goes, and what matters is how you handle the low points and what you learn from them.
How do I know whether my job makes me happy?
Score it. The work area of the wheel looks at your duties, your boss, your colleagues and your pay one by one, so you can see what to change.
Or explore one area at a time:
Work wheel
Family and friends wheel
Health wheel
Love wheel
Money wheel
Home wheel
Leisure wheel
Personal growth wheel
