Yes, you correctly read the title: The art and science of happiness is the first topic of the online course I’m taking, “Managing happiness” My curiosity regarding the matter lead me here as i believed it was one of the causes i no longer wanted to be in my marriage amongst other factors.
What is happiness, is it wealth, to be enable to afford the finest things in life, is it a well-paying job, a top-notch education, and a wonderful relationship? Is it possible to define happiness? Ultimately, what brings happiness to one individual may not bring happiness to another, and occasionally we may find ourselves unprepared for events that turn out to be unpleasant which leave us unhappy.
My happiness quotient is straightforward: being able to pay my bills and eat the best cuisine would truly make me happy lol
The lecturer of the “Managing Happiness” course, Arthur Brooks, claims that we can define happiness if we treat it like an investment portfolio.
There are four main investment categories in the Brooks portfolio. He says for our happiness to increase in a balanced manner, we require each of them.
The first investment is faith or life philosophy, it’s how you make sense of the world(Brooks)
The second is family, which are the relationships that you don’t generally choose but which you can count on through thick and thin(Brooks)
The third are friendships, which you choose and which are generally your most intimate relationships(Brooks)
The fourth is meaningful work. That doesn’t mean work that pays a fortune or features a fancy title. Rather, it’s work that allows you to earn your success and serve others(Brooks)
Brooks “Each aspect of the portfolio is critically important to experiencing happiness and like any portfolio, it needs to be balanced. None of these things can make up happiness all on their own, they complement each other and exist in harmony”
Brooks also pointed out that although this portfolio is significant, it doesn’t have all power over our happiness. He claims that we don’t have direct influence over most of our happiness. According to Brooks, our current circumstances dictate a significant portion of our happiness, with approximately 50% of it being inherited. However, the remainder, or roughly 25%, originates from our portfolio, which is directly within our control.
The Sacred Shift | Intuitive Guidance With Suzette Lindo 