Defining and Incorporating Happiness

Hello and welcome to the first happiness exercise. I am really happy to see you here. This exercise consists of two steps. But before we get to these steps, here’s some additional information about the exercise.

Background

To prioritise (not pursue) happiness, it is very important to gain clarity on what happiness means to you. It is also important to find out what things (stimuli, activities) make you happy in the way you define it.

Objective

This exercise will help you:
(1) gain a sharper, more concrete understanding of what happiness means to you, and
(2) identify the things (stimuli, activities) that lead you to experience the state you equate with happiness.

Please provide an email address to which your entries can be emailed.

What is happiness for you?

As I discussed in the book and mentioned in the video, the term “happiness” could be defined in many different ways, as:

• Love/connection
• Joy
• Authentic pride
• Hubristic pride
• Harmony
• Abundance
• Serenity
• Gratitude
• Interest
• Awe

Consider each of the above points and ask yourself which ones are you most drawn to. Then form your own definition of happiness. It can be a combination of two or more emotional experiences or an entirely different type of feeling.

It is quite likely that you are going to revise and refine your definition of happiness with time. Feel free to come back here as often as you want.

Think of 2-4 things/situations/activities that lead you to the feeling of happiness in the way that you have defined it. For example:

• Watching elevating movies like Zindagi Na Milegi Dobara or Before Sunrise
• Going for a run (or exercising in general)
• Spending time with family