Some search for it all their lives without attaining it fully. Others realize that it was always there waiting to be let out. How do you define happiness? How do you achieve happiness? What if what you believed to be true about finding happiness turned out to be inaccurate or misleading? Suppose that your very beliefs about it was what’s preventing you from truly experiencing it.
This week’s #5MinMotivation post is inspired by, “The Happiness Trap” book by Russ Harris.
The Happiness Trap is based on the principles of ACT, a revolutionary new mindfulness-based model, developed from cutting-edge research in behavioral psychology. The aim of ACT is to maximize human potential for a rich and meaningful life, and a wealth of published scientific studies prove its effectiveness.
How you see happiness will make a huge impact on how long you can hold on to it. There are myths that we tend to believe about happiness that is actually preventing us from feeling it.
“The moments of happiness we enjoy take us by surprise. It is not that we seize them, but that they seize us.” – Ashley Montagu
Here are 4 Happiness Myths Often Believed to be True:
Myth 1: Happiness is the Natural State for All Human Beings
Life is not all sunshine and roses. It does not come naturally and yes; you need to work for it.
Myth 2: If You’re Not Happy You’re Defective
Don’t ever think that if you are not happy all the time there is something wrong with you. Everyone feels unhappiness at one or several points in their lives. There are things you can do to shorten the feeling of unhappiness but coming down hard on yourself is not one of them.
Myth 3: To Create a better life, we must get rid of negative feelings
This is impossible. The goal should not be to get rid of your negative feelings such as stress, frustration and sadness. It is not about that. It is about acknowledging those emotions, taking time to feel them, then move forward.
Myth 4: You should be able to control what you think and feel
Though we are the owner of our thoughts, we cannot control them. Trying will only cause frustration. Instead, work on influencing your thoughts and feelings once they come in.
Quit getting down on yourself because your are failing at being happy all the time. That will get you nowhere. If you believed one of the 4 myths above, then commit to yourself to stop today.
“There is only one way to happiness and that is to cease worrying about things which are beyond the power of our will.” – Epictetus
Our lives can get pretty hectic and it can be easy to get lost in our actions. When we are so focused on what is ahead, we forget to pause, reflect and find ways to energize our minds. These 5-minute motivation posts are meant to give you that recharge. The goal is to give you a 5-minute Vitamin for your mind through quotes, posts and videos. It is also meant to challenge your thinking and inspire you to take action.