The Pursuit of Happiness Part 2

                       The Pursuit of Happiness    Part 2

 

This is my take. I have learned over the years some things. In my opinion,” happiness” changes somewhat like the weather. It is here one moment, then gone the next. Happy (in the dictionary) is defined as indicative of pleasure, content or gladness: a happy mood. Delighted, or pleased, or glad as over a particular thing: to be happy to see a person. So happiness is the quality or state of being happy, good fortune, pleasure, content or gladness. Synonyms for happiness include bliss, blessedness contentedness (an active or passive state of pleasure or pleasurable satisfaction).

 

 What I believe to be more stable and more lasting than a happy mood/ feelings is” well-being” (one’s mental and physical health). I prefer employing terms like “wellness, or well-being” instead. I also think that when you have wellness, or well-being, one pretty much has it all. 

 Optimum mental health is related to how it what we think long with our behavior (things we do).  That means in order to experience and live mentally healthy, the individual has to deal effectively with his many irrational or self-defeating ideas; be able to understand his defense mechanisms; and resolve various psychological life issues in order to reach the stage of ego integrity ( i.e. emotional integration, generosity, accepting ones life and death).

I also believe that getting inspired, finding meaning (purpose), spirituality, laughing,  appreciating  , and bonding (having that significant relationship not only with a spouse, but with others as well) contribute to the equation of good mental health.

And, physical health has a lot to do with   psychological health; maintaining proper nutrition, along with some form of exercise. And we know that there’s interplay between our brain and our body. If we are making good choices/decisions through movement or exercise, we are likely going to improve many things that includes but not limited to: heart health, immune system functioning, reducing high blood pressure, improving short-term memory, reducing risk of various cancers, help relieving various stresses, improving blood circulation, including better brain functioning, elevating mood, reducing depression and improving overall quality of life.

For your information, Professor Victor Strecher, a professor at the University of Michigan School of Public Health in his book “On Purpose” wrote about the elderly. Dr. Strecher concluded per research that the elderly live longer when he has a sense of purpose in his life. Having a sense of purpose means that the individual is looking toward the future. Further, the importance of living or dying was the result of having something to look forward to (a future) and was illustrated by Dr. Viktor Frankl, in his book “Man’s Search for Meaning.” Dr. Frankel, a psychiatrist, wrote about his experience in Auschwitz during World War II. Without a purpose or meaning one dies more quickly.

In my book “It Has Nothing to Do with Age” I prescribed seven principles to lengthen your life span. These seven principles can create a healthier lifestyle. 1. Get inspired. It’s okay to begin a new activity by taking baby steps. Physical activity can help in improving physical fitness, losing weight, reducing anxiety and minimizing depression. 2. Finding meaning in an activity outside of family, career or raising kids; it can build self-esteem. 3. Enrich your emotional life by making physical contact, having friends, sharing interests, and learning about others, by becoming part of a new group. 4. Realize that there’s more to life than the accumulation of material things; having the biggest toy does not result in happiness. 5. Participate in outdoor activities to help nurture, spirituality. 6. For a way to escape, read about other people’s adventures. 7. Find inspiration and motivation through the illuminating profiles of eight remarkable senior athletes found within this book.

Make sure you find your own “happiness” or “well-being.”