Now that my husband and I have settled in Colorado, I have the bandwidth for primary research on healthy lifestyles. The next few posts will cover Happiness: Unlocking the Mysteries of Psychological Wealth by Ed Diener and Robert Biswas-Diener.

The authors define true wealth in terms of happiness and life satisfaction. Elemental features include:

• Spirituality and meaning in life
• Positive attitudes and emotions
• Loving social relationships
• Meaningful work
• Engaging activities
• Life goals and the means to achieve them
• Physical and mental health
• Material sufficiency to meet needs

When endowed with true wealth, we see the good in the world while still remaining grounded in reality. We do not succumb to pettiness or negativity.

Happiness is more a process than a destination. It is seen as a beneficial way to travel on the journey of life, experiencing enjoyable, rewarding moments along the way. It places emphasis on being and doing rather than having. It acknowledges that unpleasant things happen along the way, and that no life is free from hardship. Yet working toward things that really matter – even when it’s hard – is part of the pleasure of obtaining them.

This treatment is consistent with mindfulness meditation practice. We are taught that everything in life changes. We may experience an exquisitely good mood in the moment, but it will not last. If we try to grasp onto it, we will suffer. Like clouds in the sky, that momentary sensation will float on by. If we experience physical or emotional pain, that, too, will change. In fact, the very act of paying attention to it with compassion and curiosity will alter the nature of the experience. We can find contentment when we bring awareness to each moment and open ourselves to whatever is present with compassion.

Life satisfaction arises from meaningful work, loving and supportive community, and worthwhile goals. As with happiness, we find satisfaction in the journey as well as reaching the destination. We then take the opportunity to define a new adventure and set out on a new journey.

The authors encourage us to see happiness for its beneficial impact rather than simply its pleasantries. Happiness is actually good for us!

• Happy people realize better health outcomes, better marriages, stronger social networks, improved financial security, and higher goal attainment.
• Happy people build up emotional capital that can be invested in worthy outcomes
• Happy people produce more creative ideas, work harder and better on the job, and make more money.
• Happy people find silver linings during setbacks and recognize that even bad moods serve a purpose – e.g., fear to keep us safe, guilt to instill moral behavior. Moreover, the heavier weight of good feelings outweigh the bad ones, ever bring them back to baseline.
• Happy people show curiosity and interest in new activities, actively develop their physical, intellectual, and social resources, leverage play to practice new skills and socialize, and brave new experiences.
• Happy people listen with concern, help when called upon, and exert effort to maintain relationship.
• Happy people perceive challenges as easier to overcome.

Sound good? Tune in to the next post for more details on the benefits of being happy!