Then, in this less certain state, start sketching out your happiness lists. Start with writing things you actually do; then make additions to each list, noting what you might like to add to your gallery of daily-happiness-type pleasures…
Never sign off on those lists. Stay on your toes, keep your books open,
do some experiments… Talk to neighbors… Inspire a young person… When someone says that “they” have now got [happiness] figured out, you may say aloud or in your head, “No, they probably don’t.”
But happy people don't give up on happiness, they revisit and revise their lists and they keep moving.
If you want to envision a happy person's stance, imagine one foot rooted in the present with mindful appreciation of what one has—and the other foot reaching toward the future for yet-to-be-uncovered sources of meaning. Indeed, research by neuroscientist Richard Davidson of the University of Wisconsin at Madison has revealed that making advances toward achievement of our goals not only causes us to feel more engaged, it actually helps us tolerate any negative feelings that arise during the journey.
What's on your list?
Since this is our last day with JMH, I suggest we look back over the entire book. If there are any topics we've shorted, that you'd like to discuss, please initiate that discussion in class today.
On Tuesday, everybody please post your thoughts on Generosity. Our remaining class time will be taken up by final report presentations, as many as we can get in, since we have only one class session remaining after the holiday and will not be convening for an exam. In fact, if anybody were ready to report today it would be a good thing.
If you're planning to do a presentation, please be present and prepared on Tuesday. If you're not planning to do one, please be present and attentive (and "generous") anyway.
And... who's planning our Dec. 3 Holiday Party? Who's bringing the egg nog and the fruitcake?
the more i read about hecht's list, i think the more i like her. i am a constant list maker. unfortunately i do this because i can no longer remember things from one moment to the next.
ReplyDeleteso on the regards, if you must keep a list of what makes you happy, then do so but just make sure that list is never ending. you should never carry around a list that is completely checked off because what good is the list then? you've already done it all!!
Many people already accept that they do not know exactly how to be happy, hence self-help sales. What they do not realize is that they assume a more general concept of kinds of things that lead to happiness. For instance, one might think of happiness as something experienced by those who have things. Someone with that idea would be more likely to record some kinds of items on their happiness lists than others, those kinds of items which are in line with their underlying assumption. If that assumption is not applicable to them (suppose this person is more likely to experience happiness from states of affairs, rather than things), the list risks distracting them from a more effective method.
ReplyDeleteRight, your list is YOUR list. But keep it open, you might change your mind about what's a distraction and what's an amendment.
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