1.
Forget the myth that happiness is elusive and unattainable, and that it’s something that either happens
or it doesn’t. Being
happy is a choice.
2. Expand your understanding of health to include
happiness. Here’s a quote from Deepak Chopra,
one of the world’s foremost
experts on the mind-body connection:
“Health is not just the absence of disease. It’s an inner joyfulness that should
be ours all the time - a state of positive
well-being.”
3.
The term Gross
National Happiness (GNH) was first expressed by the King of Bhutan, His Majesty Jigme Singye Wangchuck, and it’s rooted in
the Buddhist notion that the ultimate purpose
of life is inner happiness. Wangchuck maintains that economic growth does not necessarily lead to
contentment, so instead of merely focusing on
Gross Domestic Product (GDP), he focuses on the four pillars of GNH:
economic self- reliance, a pristine environment, the preservation and promotion of Bhutan’s culture,
and good governance in the form of a democracy. Follow Bhutan’s lead:
instead of simply calculating your net worth, start calculating your net happiness.
4. Living in the moment, which we
aim to achieve through the practice of mindfulness, has been shown to be linked to
positive emotions and physical well-being.
5. Research shows that meditation stimulates the left anterior
temporal region of the brain,
which is active during sensations of happiness and positive emotion.
6. Enrique
Peñalosa, the former mayor of Bogota, Colombia (population 7
million), sought to create a city of joy–in terms of transportation and
urban design–that supported social
interaction and equity, and that honored the sacredness of people and the environment. During his tenure he created urban infrastructure and public space that
gave priority to children and to those who don’t own an automobile. Here is a quote from Peñalosa:
“We
had to build a city not for businesses or automobiles, but for children and thus for people. Instead of
building highways, we restricted car
use. We invested in high-quality
sidewalks, pedestrian streets, parks,
bicycle paths, libraries; we got rid of thousands
of cluttering commercial signs and we planted trees. All our everyday
efforts have one objective: happiness.”
Organize your space around
the concept of creating happiness.
1. Let go of idea that happiness
equals consumption. Positive psychology is affirming that once we meet our basic
needs, the experience of authentic happiness has much more to do
with intrinsic factors such as self acceptance, meaning, empathy and love.
2. Act in ways that are socially and environmentally responsible. You may
take great pleasure in drinking
your morning coffee,
and this pleasure
can be accompanied by
feelings of satisfaction and happiness. However, if you’re not drinking fair
trade coffee, that happiness is not sustainable.
3. Dan Baker,
a clinical psychologist whose practice draws on the science of happiness, writes that the greatest barrier to
individual happiness is fear. He
concludes that all of our fear can be
grouped into three basic fears: survival; fear of not having enough, and; fear of not being
enough.
He explains that
as long as we are operating out of fear, rather than love, we will consistently pursue happiness in ways that are destructive for ourselves and others.
4.
In the book Cradle to Cradle: Remaking
the Way We Make Things, McDonough and
Braungart pose the following question; “What if humans designed
products and systems
that celebrate an abundance of human creativity, culture and
productivity? That are so intelligent
and safe, our species leaves an ecological footprint to delight in, not
lament?” Ask yourself how you can apply this concept
in your life.
1. Encourage your city’s major
to adopt the “Slow City Manifesto”. In his book In Praise of Slow: How a Worldwide Movement Is Challenging the Cult of
Speed, Carl Honoré
explores the benefits of slowing down and describes the Slow City movement in his first chapter.
He explains that many Italian cities have taken the Slow City pledge and are working to improve the quality
of life of their citizens:
“The Citta Slow manifesto contains
fifty-five pledges, such as cutting
noise and traffic, increasing green spaces and pedestrian zones; backing local farmers and the
shops, markets and restaurants that
sell their produce; promoting technology that
protects the environment; preserving local aesthetic and culinary traditions; and fostering a spirit of
hospitality and neighbourliness.”
2. Call the “Laughter
Yoga Hotline” and
participate in a laughter yoga session in the
privacy of your home (it’s free, but you
may have to pay a long distance
fee depending on your
phone service plan).
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