English Literature – Articles ☆ Positive Education # 04 : Positive Emotion ☆ Shri Jagat Singh Bisht ☆

Shri Jagat Singh Bisht

(Master Teacher: Happiness & Well-Being, Laughter Yoga Master Trainer, Author, Blogger, Educator, and Speaker.)

Authored six books on happiness: Cultivating Happiness, Nirvana – The Highest Happiness, Meditate Like the Buddha, Mission Happiness, A Flourishing Life, and The Little Book of Happiness. He served in a bank for thirty-five years and has been propagating happiness and well-being among people for the past twenty years. He is on a mission – Mission Happiness!

☆ Positive Education # 04: Positive Emotion ☆

Satisfaction about the past, optimism about the future and happiness in the present

“Gratitude helps you to grow and expand; gratitude brings joy and laughter into your life and into the lives of all those around you.”

Eileen Caddy

It is generally assumed that feelings of delight, elation, euphoria, playfulness, and cheerfulness denote happiness. But happiness could also exist in contentment, peace of mind, hopefulness, optimism, and serenity.

All of these are positive emotions and many more could be added to the list – ecstasy, glee, jubilation, merriment, joy, pleasure, laughter, exuberance, enchantment, and mirth.

Positive emotion contributes towards our happiness and well-being. Gratitude, forgiveness, savouring, mindfulness, optimism, and hope are some of the positive emotions that we can feel.

Positive emotion may be about our past, present, or future.

Past

We may feel satisfaction, contentment, fulfilment, pride, or serenity about our past.

According to Ed Diener and Robert Biswas-Diener, “Happiness does not just exist in the present but also can be drawn from past events. Try savouring past successes, enjoyable experiences and other golden memories by making a habit out of looking at memorabilia or trading stories with a spouse or friends.

“You will be surprised to find that you can draw actual happiness– right now– from events that have taken place long ago. Rather than looking for increased happiness in a better future you can mine your past experiences to pay out happiness dividends!”

Present

We may feel joy, ecstasy, calm, zest, ebullience, pleasure, or flow in the present moment.

Henri Matisse suggests, “Derive happiness in oneself from a good day’s work, from illuminating the fog that surrounds us.”

Future

Positive emotion about the future includes hope, optimism, faith, and trust.

Dalai Lama says, “Transforming the mind and cultivating a positive, altruistic, and responsible attitude are beneficial right now. Whatever problems and difficulties we may have, we can thereby face them with courage, calmness, and high spirits. Therefore, it is also the very root of happiness for many lives to come.”

Positive emotion – satisfaction about the past, optimism about the future and happiness in the present – may be enhanced with real effort.

One is truly happy is one has positive emotion about the past, present, and future but that does not happen in all cases.

Some people may be satisfied with the past, but sour in the present, and pessimistic about the future.

There can be several other combinations of positive emotion relating to the past, present or future.

Positive emotion – satisfaction about the past, optimism about the future and happiness in the present – may be enhanced with real effort.

Positive psychologists have devised happiness activities to increase positive emotion.

“May you play more, laugh more, give more, receive more and celebrate more. May you sparkle and glow more with joy and magic. May your laughter refresh the world daily.”

Aine Belton