UPBEATCAFE February, 2012

Happiness
It isn't what you have, or who you are, or where you are, or what you are doing that makes you happy or unhappy. It is what you think about."

HAPPINESS
By Dr. Winston McCullough

THE PURSUIT OF

- Dale Carnegie

FEBRUARY THEME OF THE MONTH

A deep investigation of what ancient sages and 21st century science alike have discovered about the means of human fulllment reveals the essential paths to happiness. A good place to start is Wisdom understanding how our human experience of reality works, with two basic insights: 1) our world is constantly changing our thoughts, emotions, body, other people, and our life circumstances and its beyond our direct control, so we can relax and learn to work effectively with patterns of cause and result, in tune with the interconnectivity of all things; and 2) because all of our experience depends fundamentally on how we perceive the world, how we mentally label and categorize things (again, our thoughts, emotions, and body; other people, our circumstances), everything possesses limitless potential for transformation, beauty, purity, goodness based upon our habitual patterns of perception.

The pursuit of happiness is an inalienable right guaranteed by our U.S. Declaration of Independence. But what is happiness, and how do we pursue it? How can we help ourselves and others to be happier? Aristotle considered happiness to be the ultimate aim of life, the only goal we always choose for its own sake and never as a means to something else. Saint Augustine agreed in his The Happy Life that the desire for happiness is essential the motivator of all our acts. The most venerable, clearly understood, enlightened, and reliable constant in the world is not only that we want to be happy, but that we want only to be so. Our very nature requires it of us.

UPBEATCAFE February, 2012

That part is up to us. While we cant really control the changing world around us, we can deliberately cultivate positive effective habits of perception through intentional practice. This insight is both a foundation of modern social-cognitive psychology and a truth of ancient sages. As the Indian master Shantideva said, if the world is full of thorns pricking our feet, we have two choices cover the whole world with leather or put on a pair of sandals. The opportunities for well-being for ourselves and others expand innitely in the light of this wisdom. Listen up, them who have ears to hear.

Just as positive emotions enhance our well-being, so does a healthy connection with our body. Living with Embodiment means leveraging the deep relationship between our physical states and our mental-emotional life. The mind and body work in tandem. One impacts the other in predictable ways. Fascinating 21st research is revealing how we can successfully leverage the mind-body connection to create a vital thriving life.

The pursuit of happiness is more than achieving wellbeing in our personal mental, emotional and physical Human ourishing also depends upon a daily dose of experience. Its also about engaging in a state of Flow with our Positivity; positive emotions ranging from joy, awe, inspiration work and leisure activities, experiencing deep challenge in and amusement, to gratitude for past and present, hope for the arenas that we are passionately drawn to; and its also about future, forgiveness and serenity, compassion and love for others deeply connecting with other living beings in Relationships and ourselves. While negative emotions like anger and fear marked by enjoyment, kindness, respect, appreciation and love. narrow our attention and lead to resistance behaviors like ght To live well, we need to get outside ourselves, into love and or ight, positive emotions broaden our awareness and work. expand our capacity for clear creative thinking, connecting genuinely with others, dealing with challenges, and even Finally, human ourishing depends upon recognizing and support a stronger immune system, physical health and vitality. applying in ever new ways our personal Virtues and character Its well worth learning about proven ways to intentionally strengths, for our own fulllment and to help others reach their trigger positive emotions: cultivating gratitude, optimism and potential for happiness to make the world a better place for mindfulness; reducing rumination, social comparison and other all. At the end of the day, a life well lived has a clear Purpose, toxic inuences that keep us down; savoring lifes joys, forgiving a motivation to serve something thats much bigger than me, others, effectively coping with challenges; and opening up more something of enduring, expansive value. If we were ambitious to others with kindness and generosity. here, we might consider the fulllment of the dreams of all living beings in all places and times. Limitless potential. And it cycles back to the Wisdom we rst spoke of. Think about it. Dr. Winston McCullough has two Masters Happiness is all about Connection wisdom about how degrees and a PhD in psychology from NYU and our mental habits connect us to our experience of the world; has worked in industry for 25 years as an frequently connecting with positive emotions each day to industrial/organizational psychologist. He taught broaden our attention and build resources for ourishing; for several years at Columbia University and leveraging the connections between our body and our mentalteaches currently at Oregon State emotional life; engaging deeply with work and play and with University:Positive Psychology, Psychology of our relationships with others; and applying our personal Meditation, World Religions, and Great Figures: passions, strengths and virtues in ever new ways each day to Jesus and Buddha. He has designed and connect and support something much bigger than myself, in currently leads the adult education program, the service of others well-being. Paths to Happiness,exploringthe intersection of 21stcentury psychology and spiritual Now thats a vision of happiness worth pursuing. And there are paths,with the goal of personal and social many ways to go for it. Heres one: transformation.

www.pathstohappiness.org.