Who doesn’t want to live a satisfying life? Humans are complex and travel many different
paths in life, but everyone is looking for meaning and purpose. We spend most
of our time pursuing those things that make us happy. After all we’re Americans
and isn’t that what Americans do? The Declaration of Independence gives full
support to our desire to be happy.
We
hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that
they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that
among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness.
I found two internet articles
on the subject of long-term happiness and the sense of well-being, which represent
two sides of the same coin. The first article from the August 12, 2015 edition
of The Week Magazine is entitled The Key to Sustained Happiness is Religion. Researchers at the London School of
Economics and Erasmus University Medical Center in the Netherlands studied various
social activities that people chose to pursue.
They also looked at organizations that people join. Politics, Community
Involvement, Charities, Education, and Religion were the areas that received
the greatest scrutiny.
The researchers discovered that every area they studied
except religion led to decreased happiness over time. Only participation in a
religious organization boosted happiness in the long run. The researchers said that
they were puzzled by their discovery.
The second article written by Scott Barry Kaufman on August
2, 2015 on the Scientific American Blog asks What Character Strengths are Most Predictive of Well-Being? 517 people ranging in age from 18-71 were
studied to determine their positive strengths. The goal was to use this
information in psychology to not just treat mental illness but to encourage
people to focus on those positive strengths. Google: Scientific American Well Being for article.
The characteristics that rose to the top in people who
experienced well-being were: Gratitude, Love, Honesty, and Hope. I see a strong
connection between participation in a religious organization and those
characteristics. Believing in God and
studying His Word with a group of like-minded believers will make us more
thankful and honest. Stretching our faith muscles will develop a mindset of
love and hope.
Jesus also talked about a full and satisfying life as
recorded in the Bible in John 10:10.
I
am come that they might have life,
and
that they might have it more abundantly.
Pursue happiness and a sense of well-being by investing your life in
serving God and serving others. And I would love to hear from you.
What makes you happy?
Great blog, Frieda! Doing for others is a great source of happiness for me.
ReplyDeleteThis truth should be widespread. Perhaps expanded into a book??
ReplyDelete