Have you ever heard of the happiness equation? Yep, that’s right. There’s an equation for happiness. If you don’t believe me, just google it and you’ll find a couple. The one I was introduced to is H=S+C+V. While I was decent at math in school, this equation has made me think.
Growing up, I was taught that happiness wasn’t what was to be sought after. Instead, I needed to find joy that comes from inside. I was told that happiness is fleeting and circumstantial, but true spiritual joy is eternal. “I’ve got the joy, joy, joy, joy down in my heart” was the mantra, and I often felt like the joy was way down deep in my heart. My existence felt solemn, serious, and hard.
Imagine my amazement to find that one can be happy in life, and that genuine happiness is great for one’s health. It really has very little to do with circumstances and has everything to do with the mindset and approach one has to life. Happiness or unhappiness is so significant that it can literally shape your cells and carry into genetics that are passed to the next generation. Luckily, we can also change our patterns and learn to approach life differently. So, I thought I would share what I’ve learned are important ingredients for happiness.
- Acceptance is the key. I didn’t create this phrase, but I have found nothing to be truer in my life. Growing up, I was taught to judge, criticize, complain and play the victim when hard things in life happened or people behaved differently than I wanted. The mere resistance of reality has caused me more misery in my life than I can even understand.
- Gratitude changes everything. When I begin to look for opportunities to be grateful, it affects how I see the world. Like when I bought a blue car, and I started to see blue cars like mine everywhere. Gratitude makes life brighter.
- Opportunities are always available. When I realize that everything that comes to me is an opportunity for growth, it changes how I react and respond. When I can trust that all circumstances happen for a reason, then I feel less like the victim and more like a participant. Experiencing the situations of life as opportunities allows me to avoid judging them as good or bad.
- Serve and love others. Spending time in empathy, compassion, and care for others makes a lasting impact. Listening and taking time is such a gift. And getting outside of oneself and giving freely to others without expecting anything in return leads to genuine fulfillment
No matter what life is delivering to me, I am aware of the ingredients that lead to happiness. A delayed surgery, the death of a loved one, a major project at work, and daily bumps in the road are part of the human experience that I’ve been granted. How I approach them determines not only my mental well being, but also my physical health. For me, that is the happiness equation that I am continually working.