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 # 09: Myths and Reality ☆
Happiness BRINGS success
“One of the greatest obstacles to attaining happiness is that most of our beliefs about what will make us happy are in fact erroneous. Yet they have been drummed into us, socialized by peers and families and role models and reinforced by the stories and images ever present in our culture.”
Sonja Lyubomirsky
There are several myths surrounding happiness.
One of them is: “I will be happy when I am successful.”
Look at what Emma Seppala has to say in this regard:
“People generally have the misconception that, to be successful, they must postpone their happiness. Ironically, what research is showing is that happiness is the fast track to success.
“If, instead of overworking and burning out, you take time to relax, to cultivate calmness, to stay present, and to be compassionate to yourself and others, you will be more productive, more resilient to stress, more charismatic and influential, and more creative and innovative.”
Viktor Frankl advised, “Don’t aim at success – the more you aim at it and make it a target, the more you are going to miss it. For success, like happiness, cannot be pursued; it must ensue… as the unintended side-effect of one’s personal dedication to a course greater than oneself.”
I Will Be Happy When I Am Rich
The most common myth about happiness is: “I will be happy when I have plenty of money.”
Money, of course, is important but only up to a certain level. You need money to satisfy your basic needs and beyond that to fulfil some security needs. Once you are decently well-off, any additional income will not add to your happiness.
On the contrary, if you focus too much on money matters and are money-minded, you are never satisfied in life. Yearning for money and constantly chasing it could be a cause of discontent and unhappiness. Additional resources give you more freedom, choice, and security but may not make you happier.
Some other myths about happiness are:
“I will be happy when I find the right partner.”
“I will be happy when I have a palatial house.”
“I will be happy when I have a luxury car.”
“I will be happier when I look more beautiful.”
“I will be happy when I have a muscular body.”
“I will be happy when I find the right job.”
These are myths, far removed from reality. Benjamin Franklin rightly observed, “Happiness consists more in small conveniences or pleasures that occur every day, than in great pieces of good fortune that happen but seldom.”
Thomas Lemuel Hawke said, “Often we imagine that we will work hard until we arrive at some distant goal, and then we will be happy. This is a delusion. Happiness is the result of a life lived with purpose. Happiness is not an objective. It is the movement of life itself, a process, and an activity. It arises from curiosity and discovery.”
“Those who seek happiness in pleasure, wealth, glory, power, and heroics are as naive as the child who tries to catch a rainbow and wear it as a raincoat.”
Dilgo Khyentse Rinpoche
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English Literature – Articles ☆ Positive Education # 09: Positive Health ☆ Shri Jagat Singh Bisht ☆
© Jagat Singh Bisht
Master Teacher: Happiness & Well-Being, Laughter Yoga Master Trainer, Author, Blogger, Educator, and Speaker
Founder
A Pathway to Authentic Happiness, Well-Being & A Fulfilling Life! We teach skills to lead a healthy, happy and meaningful life.
The Science of Happiness (Positive Psychology), Meditation, Yoga, Spirituality and Laughter Yoga. We conduct talks, seminars, workshops, retreats and training.
≈ Editor – Shri Hemant Bawankar/Editor (English) – Captain Pravin Raghuvanshi, NM
