"You're not going to find the meaning of life hidden under a rock written by someone else. You'll only find it by giving meaning to life from inside yourself."-Dr. Robert Firestone
"For most of its history, academic psychology focused on everything except happiness. It studied disease, disorder, and dysfunction, and largely ignored what made people satisfied and fulfilled. But when Seligman took the helm of the American Psychological Association in 1998, he slowly began guiding the ship of psych in a new direction. Seligman's research, as well as that of many other scientists who have turned their attention to satisfaction and well-being, has begun to unlock the secrets of what makes people happy—and to encourage the wider world to take happiness seriously." (Pink, p 225) Like spirituality, happiness is gaining recognition as something that we all strive for. Although we all achieve happiness in different ways, it is another, universal part of our brains that is built into the design.
"According to Seligman, happiness derives from a mix of factors. Part of it depends on biology. We're all born with a relatively fixed natural range of well-being imprinted on our genes. Some of us tilt towards the gloomy end of the spectrum, others towards the cheery end. But all of us can learn how to reach the upper portions of our individual range—where happiness can ensue. Among the things that contribute to happiness, according to Seligman, are engaging in satisfying work, avoiding negative events and emotions, being married, and having a rich social network. Also important are gratitude, forgiveness, and optimism. (What doesn't seem to matter much at all, according to the research, are making more money, getting lots of education, or living in a pleasant climate.)" (Pink, p 226) Misconceptions that money will make you happy, or sources of happiness such as being married, or avoiding negative events are more obvious. However, engaging in satisfying work is the main takeaway from this section, and really the main takeaway from this book. Finding meaning in what you do is really what it all comes down to, in terms of achieving happiness. If you enjoy your work, and feel like you make a difference in the world, it's a lot more fulfilling than having a huge paycheck.
"For most of its history, academic psychology focused on everything except happiness. It studied disease, disorder, and dysfunction, and largely ignored what made people satisfied and fulfilled. But when Seligman took the helm of the American Psychological Association in 1998, he slowly began guiding the ship of psych in a new direction. Seligman's research, as well as that of many other scientists who have turned their attention to satisfaction and well-being, has begun to unlock the secrets of what makes people happy—and to encourage the wider world to take happiness seriously." (Pink, p 225) Like spirituality, happiness is gaining recognition as something that we all strive for. Although we all achieve happiness in different ways, it is another, universal part of our brains that is built into the design.
"According to Seligman, happiness derives from a mix of factors. Part of it depends on biology. We're all born with a relatively fixed natural range of well-being imprinted on our genes. Some of us tilt towards the gloomy end of the spectrum, others towards the cheery end. But all of us can learn how to reach the upper portions of our individual range—where happiness can ensue. Among the things that contribute to happiness, according to Seligman, are engaging in satisfying work, avoiding negative events and emotions, being married, and having a rich social network. Also important are gratitude, forgiveness, and optimism. (What doesn't seem to matter much at all, according to the research, are making more money, getting lots of education, or living in a pleasant climate.)" (Pink, p 226) Misconceptions that money will make you happy, or sources of happiness such as being married, or avoiding negative events are more obvious. However, engaging in satisfying work is the main takeaway from this section, and really the main takeaway from this book. Finding meaning in what you do is really what it all comes down to, in terms of achieving happiness. If you enjoy your work, and feel like you make a difference in the world, it's a lot more fulfilling than having a huge paycheck.
No comments:
Post a Comment