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Happy Valentine’s Day
Do You Have the Right Babysitter?
Hear From Our Clients
Are You on the Fast Track to Heart Disease?
A Dessert for Chinese New Year
Give Up the Search for Happiness
GIVE UP THE SEARCH FOR HAPPINESS
As Frankl puts it, once a person findsmeaning, they know the “why” of their existence, and they will be able to bear almost any “how.” In the years since “Man’s Search for Meaning” was written, it seems we’ve forgotten a lot of its advice. The Centers for Disease Control found that 4 out of every 10 Americans do not have a satisfying life purpose, and yet, 60 percent of Americans say they are happy. What gives? It comes down to the pursuit of happiness versus pursuingmeaning in life. It’s the difference between “I’mgoing to buy this dress because it will makeme happy” and “I’mgoing to volunteer at a shelter because it will bemeaningful.” Happiness involves satisfying an immediate need, whereas findingmeaning focuses onmaking choices that give us a sense of purpose. Evenmore telling, the Journal of Positive Psychology found that meaningful acts usually involve giving, but reaching happiness oftenmeans taking. Because of this, leading ameaningful life, while oftenmore challenging, is alsomore satisfying. Is it possible that the pursuit of a meaningful life will lead us to happiness? Absolutely. Just don’t expect it to be an everlasting condition. Think of happiness the way psychologist Frank T. McAndrew does: “Recognizing that happiness exists — and that it’s a delightful visitor that never overstays its welcome —may help us appreciate it more when it arrives.”
... AndLook forMeaning Instead Howmany books have you seen with the word “happiness” in the title? A lot, right? It’s such a popular topic because the pursuit, journey, and, ultimately, achievement of happiness is supposed to be the key to a fulfilling life. Happiness is the ultimate human condition; reaching it is our purpose and will bring us contentment. But before you pick up that guide to happiness, there’s some new data you need to pay attention to. Turns out, we’ve been focusing on the wrong goal. More and more research is supporting the benefit of pursuing a meaningful life over a happy one. Viktor Frankl could be called a leading expert on the topic. Frankl lived through the Holocaust in a concentration camp and sawfirsthand howhumans deal with unhappy circumstances. As a respected psychiatrist, his observations became the basis for his book, “Man’s Search forMeaning.” Frankl found that the people who stood the best chance of surviving the horrific experience were those who saw some sort of meaning in their lives, even under the bleakest circumstances. For Frankl, thismeant providing therapy to others in the camp.
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