“Happiness is a decision, not an event, my mentor often used to say”, recalls Sriram, founder of Amaidhi School of Transformation and guest faculty at IIT Madras. But what really is happiness? Across cultures, the idea of happiness has been well talked about since ancient times. In Greece, happiness is what comes from fulfilling life’s pursuits - Eudaimonia. In India, we have Nirvana, the ultimate freedom from the circle of desire and attainment. At the core of happiness, says Dr Jonathan Haidt in The Happiness Hypothesis, are multiple psychological, social and philosophical ideas that vary from person to person, some of which we’ll explore in the next few minutes.
Joy is the norm while unhappiness is the exception
In short, the pursuit of happiness is the sum of how grateful you are, how much compassion you have to offer and how optimistically you approach life. At the workplace, the art of happiness is all about aiming for collective growth and healthy work culture. Because when everyone has a balanced sense of self-esteem, “me” and “we” are in line. At home, the art of happiness is letting go of judgements and building mutually fulfilling relationships. To sum it up, the pursuit of happiness is not a goal in itself, but an everlasting process. Walk on this path to be happy by letting go of limiting beliefs, building healthy habits and being your most authentic self.
Of all the routes you can take to become happier in life and work, the one that begins with acceptance is the trusted one. Did you find this post useful to apply in your own lives? Write to us with your perspectives and experiences at contact@beyond8.in. Stay tuned for more insights on happiness from the leaders and speakers at the Nudge Talks.