Finding Happiness

Happiness depends upon ourselves. -Aristotle

The trailer for the movie "The Pursuit of Happyness" was on the other night and it was a great reminder to me. It is only yourself that can determine your happiness in life. There are great obstacles and circumstances in life that can make it very difficult. Yet it is up to the individual.

Happiness as defined by Harvard social psychologist William McDougall is that "people can be happy while in pain and unhappy while experiencing pleasure; To understand this, two kinds of happiness must be distinguished: feel-good and value-based. Feel-good happiness is sensation-based pleasure. When we joke around or have sex, we experience feel-good happiness. Since feel-good happiness is ruled by the law of diminishing returns, the kicks get harder to come by. This type of happiness rarely lasts longer than a few hours at a time."

Value-based happiness is a sense that our lives have meaning and fulfill some larger purpose. It represents a spiritual source of satisfaction, stemming from our deeper purpose and values. We experience value-based happiness when we satisfy any of the 16 basic desires--the more desires we satisfy, the more value-based happiness we experience. Since this form of happiness is not ruled by the law of diminishing returns, there is no limit to how meaningful our lives can be.

So the clinical view of happiness can be examined and debated, but the one thing every study shows is that happiness is individualistic. Those that were experiencing this 'value-based' happiness were much happier for a much longer time. The 'feel good' happiness was short lived; much like the sugar rush from a candy bar.

So find something longer lasting for your life that makes you happy. Choose to find 'Happyness' in your life.

Change To Move Others

Things happen in our lives when we 'step out in change'. We each have a story we can tell about what it is we did or what happened that changed our life. I would like to hear your story, those of life changing events, the ones that either moved you or caused you to shift things in your life.

You may think that "no one would have interest in MY STORY." But you might be surprised and I'd like to collect these stories to share with others. If your story moves even one person to make a change for the better, that 'ripple' from your life has again done something good for another.

Our own humanity is a community of people learning from each other. The stories we tell each other come from the past, recent past, the young, the old and everyone in-between. These stories could have been moved by faith or circumstance. Even the smallest story of success or inspiration will touch many others.

Email your story to josephprimm@bellsouth.net and I will do the rest. I'll collect these stories and make them available to everyone. Don't worry, I won't use your full name but will let you know that I received it. You can pass along this request to family, friends, neighbors, co-workers or others that may have a story to share.

We can touch others with our stories of break-through. Each of us have a story that can inspire or encourage others. There are others out there waiting to hear your story which will move them to make change in their life.

Thank you and let's effect change for others.

Joseph Primm
Atlanta, GA
josephprimm@bellsouth.net

Dance To Feel Good

"You have to learn that if you start making sure you feel good, everything will be okay." -Ruben Studdard

The following video pretty much speaks for itself. Each of us will take many things away from this but I believe one of those things will be feeling good afterwards. The video is safe and viewable by all ages. Pay attention to the dance style and where he is...something for everyone.

Where the Hell is Matt? (2008) from Matthew Harding on Vimeo.

For more about this video, visit Matt's site. Thank you Matt, the ripples of what you do are touching so many. Everything is going to be okay.

Inspirational Steps

Picture comes from Sarah Binette's blog.

"We should be taught not to wait for inspiration to start a thing. Action always generates inspiration. Inspiration seldom generates action." -Frank Tibolt

The hardest thing to do when achieving a goal is in taking that first step. We sit and procrastinate and plan and ponder, trying to set the entire course out. We then over think the course we are going to take, allowing doubt to creep in.

To sit all day reading inspirational books and watching motivational speakers on television extol great words will not put us closer to our dreams unless we take that first step. By creating movement, other things move in your life.

Some will say it is God moving in your life, others say it is opportunity moving in your life while others will say it is karma. Whatever your belief is, the movement will place you on a course in which you will find opportunity and inspiration.

This course may not be the one envisioned while sitting there planning your future. But as you move, things that you had not envisioned will present themselves for you to take hold of. Yet it all begins with a single step.

Inspire yourself to stand up and move, create a wave with your movement and ride the waves of other peoples movement. Grab hold of the sun and use it to light the path to your goals.