Happiness 101: Your Ultimate Guide to Unlock True, Genuine Happiness

Happiness.

It’s something we all want, but struggle to understand. Something we spend a lifetime seeking, but struggle to find. Something we might occasionally feel, but struggle to maintain. But why the struggle? Why does something that should be our birthright give us so much trouble?

Happiness, believe it or not, is within your reach. Here’s everything you need to know about the true nature of happiness, and yes—even how to find it for yourself.

The Science of Happiness

New research into happiness

In the effort to better understand happiness, researchers have begun to turn to a variety of sciences for answers. A new field of social science called positive psychology draws upon emotion research, moral psychology, humanism, cognitive behavioural therapy, biology, medicine, philosophy, and many more disciplines in order to come to a better understanding of the process of finding happiness.

The brain-body nexus

How the vagus nerve is connected to your happiness

The vagus nerve is the longest nerve in your body, running from your brain through your neck, chest, and abdomen, connecting almost all of your major organs. It’s responsible for regulating your nervous system, heart rate, muscle function, vocal cords, and even your digestion!

In short, the vagus nerve connects our brains to our bodies. Good vagus nerve tone is linked not only to good bodily health, but to your psychological and emotional health, too. By tapping into this nerve and nourishing it, we can literally hack into our body’s major functions and heal ourselves from the inside out. 

How your breath is connected to your happiness

One of the most powerful ways to heal your vagus nerve is through your breath. Practicing intentional breathing patterns, like Sudarshan Kriya or SKY breathing, reduces stress, synergizes your brain and body, and gives you a solid foundation for a calm, happy day. 

Your gut health and your happiness

Just as your brain affects your body, your body, in turn, affects your brain. When you eat nourishing, healthy, seasonal food that is specifically designed for your unique body type and imbalances, you bring your body into balance and naturally become happier. The ancient Indian science of life, Ayurveda, is the perfect dietary solution for a healthy body and happy brain!

Why am I Unhappy?

What statistics say about happiness

“Life is 80% joy and 20% misery. But you hold on to the 20% and make it 200%!”
- Gurudev Sri Sri Ravi Shankar

According to the 2019 World Happiness Report, people are feeling worse than ever before. Negative emotions continue to rise around the world, and people in the United States, in particular, are struggling. This year’s report also analyzes how global happiness has changed over time, based on data stretching back to 2005. One trend is very clear: negative feelings—worry, sadness, and anger—have been rising, up by 27 percent since 2010. 

These statistics are alarming. Are we holding on to misery more than ever? Are we missing out on 80% of our lives? 

Why the pursuit of happiness seems fruitless

UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-Moon once said that “The pursuit of happiness lies at the core of human endeavors”. We are hard-wired to pursue happiness: if you ask any person on the street what their life’s ultimate goal is, most will say that they wish to be happy. 

The pursuit of happiness is a quest that every human being shares. So why does it feel so elusive?  

Wealthy people can be happy or unhappy. Famous and influential people can be happy or unhappy. People working their dream jobs can be happy or unhappy, just as people who are just struggling to find work can be happy or unhappy. Married couples can be happy or unhappy, and single people can be happy or unhappy. 

The modern view of happiness is that it is something that can be pursued and achieved; something that can be measured, tracked down, or purchased. We are taught to link our happiness with objects, people, situations, events, and experiences. But this view of happiness, when examined, begins to fall apart. 

We are taught to believe that happiness is dependent on reaching our goal weight, getting a promotion at work, or achieving our dream Ivy League scholarship. We are taught to assume that a big change, like moving to California, getting married, or purchasing our dream home will raise our happiness level permanently. But this is an illusion. 

In fact, when you really stop and think about it, as soon as we achieve one of these big goals, the satisfaction doesn’t last. So we swiftly attach our happiness to the next goal, and then the next, always thinking happiness is one goalpost away. These aspirations might take years of hard work to meet, but the happiness that achieving them brings can dissipate after just a few months. 

Even if we achieve everything we want in this world, it is meaningless unless we discover the true source of happiness within. These words of Albert Schweitzer “Success is not the key to happiness. Happiness is the key to success” are so true!

Gurudev Sri Sri Ravi Shankar explains that “Happiness is something that we have to carefully pursue. Unconsciously, we all are happy, but somewhere in the pursuit of happiness, we get stuck and miss our goal. If you wake up and see the present, you will find that happiness is right there, and that it is unconditional. Don’t postpone your happiness until some perfect future date: be happy now, and tomorrow will take care of itself. So many people are either dreaming of happiness in the future or remembering happiness from the past, but true happiness is that which is in the present. Only when you realize this will you be happy, and not be dependent on others for your happiness.”

“There are two ways of looking at life. One is thinking: I'll be happy after achieving a certain objective. The second is saying: I am happy, come what may!" 

“In short, live your life as an expression of happiness rather than pursuit of happiness.”

Overcoming the obstacles to happiness

According to Gurudev Sri Sri Ravi Shankar, there are four main obstacles to happiness: desire, stress, insecurity, and prejudice.

Desire

When your life is dictated by your desires, you’re less likely to appreciate where you are right now. Endeavoring to embody dispassion and eliminate your desires is a noble pursuit, one that will leave you feeling more confident and fulfilled. After all, a life free of ambition, covetousness, jealousy, and greed is a happy one!

Stress

Not only is stress damaging to your mind: it is incredibly destructive to your body as well. But no matter how difficult your circumstances might be, you do have control over how you respond to stressors. When you learn to free yourself from stress, frustration, and overthinking, every part of your body and mind responds, making you a healthier and happier human being. 

Insecurity

When your default emotional state is rooted in fear, doubt, and uncertainty, happiness becomes an impossible dream. But when you learn how to overcome the fear of failure and believe in yourself, all areas of your life begin to thrive. When you stop acting from a place of insecurity, you become more successful in your career, your relationships blossom, and you’re more easily able to access your inner sources of happiness. 

Prejudice

How many happy people do you know who hold prejudice in their hearts? When you judge others on the basis of race, skin tone, gender, sexuality, political orientation, or any other categorization, you close yourself off from the joys of true connection and understanding. Happy people don’t use their energy to put down others, but strive to live together in peace and harmony. 

Spirituality and Happiness

Research suggests that people (even young kids) with spiritual inclination - which can be religious or non-religious - are likely to experience greater happiness and wellbeing. Spirituality can provide us with meaning, a sense of celebration and a sense of connectedness to others and to 'something bigger' beyond the mundane. People who feel their life has meaning and have a strong sense of connection are happier and healthier too. 

People are born with a sense of curiosity and the desire to know and understand things that they can’t explain with logic and reasoning, and spirituality gives a bigger perspective on life to unfold these life’s mysteries. Despite there being countless religions and spiritual beliefs in today’s world, science shows that spirituality is all inclusive with a universal approach, and has a powerfully positive effect on our happiness, health, and relationships. People with spiritual mindset are likely to have a very deep sense of happiness that is unconditional and doesn’t depend upon the outer circumstances. To them happiness comes from having an unbroken connection to the deep state of unbounded awareness of the higher Self.

Spiritual master Gurudev Sri Sri Ravi Shankar says, “For thousands of years, spirituality has been the guiding force behind humanity. Spirituality brings enthusiasm and energy to life. Answering a question about what is spirituality in this video, he explains, “Spirituality is the uplifting of one’s spirits through meditation, service, knowledge and wisdom. Anything that uplifts the spirit, anything that brings more happiness, love, joy, creativity, compassion and enthusiasm in life is spirituality.”

Someone once asked him, “how do I know if I am making progress with my spiritual practices?”

He gave very good parameters to gauge one’s progress: “Do you feel at home everywhere? Do you feel a sense of unshakeable peace, a sense of unknown inner-strength. Do you feel comfortable and natural, at home, with people or without people, then you are progressing. That is the strength that meditation brings within you and a smile that is undying.”

Why is Happiness Important?

Happiness and your physical health

Happy people, overall, experience better physical health. They’re less likely to get sick, and they live longer, too. Happy people tend to take better care of themselves: for example, when you’re happy, you’re less likely to indulge in food, drink, and pleasure-seeking behaviors that have negative impacts on your health. 

Being happy also impacts your energy levels. When you don’t have negative emotions bogging you down, the world becomes your oyster! Happy people also radiate a youthful glow, which can have a big impact on your appearance (and self-esteem, too!) 

Happiness and your relationships

Happy people connect with other people more easily. They have more friends, are more likely to get married, and when they are married, tend to have more fulfilling relationships with their partners. This is especially true for men! 

Happiness, as stated above, impacts your energy—and your energy, it turns out, is one of the most important aspects of a happy relationship. When you have healthy energy reserves to draw upon, you’re better able to remain present and clear-minded, to reach mutually-satisfying resolutions to conflicts, and to share in laughter and fun together. 

Another secret to fulfilling relationships is vulnerability. When you’re happy, your ego naturally subsides, and you’re better able to deal with feelings like shame, embarrassment, frustration, and fear: all roadblocks to vulnerability. When you’re vulnerable, your relationships flourish.

Happiness doesn’t just affect your partnerships, but your ability to parent effectively as well. When parents are happy, children thrive academically, socially, and personally. 

Happiness and success at work

Happy people are more productive at work, make more money, and tend to be more generous, too. When you’re happy, you’re also more creative, which leads to more innovation and quicker problem-solving. 

Having a strong baseline of happiness helps you handle criticism at work, so that you can bounce back when you make a mistake. It also helps you overcome perfectionism, a trait that actually blocks your success. 

How to be Happy

What all happy people have in common

Happy people practice gratitude

One of the most important aspects of happiness is gratitude. Happy people are thankful for the lives they live, plain and simple! They understand that gratitude is not a state of being, but an action, and take every opportunity to notice and appreciate the good things in their lives⁠—and when you focus on the good, the bad tends to fall away. 

Happy people live in the present

Rather than reminiscing about the past or trying to prepare for the future, happy people live in the present. Obsessing about events that have already happened doesn’t do us any favors, and the future, no matter how meticulously we plan for it, is always uncertain. The only place we can find true joy is in the present moment. 

Happy people are generous

Human beings are not meant to live in isolation and independence. We’re wired to be social creatures, and our brain chemistry responds when we act as such. Happy people are generous and compassionate, sharing their time, spirit, wealth, and self with their communities. Extending that same compassion to yourself is a huge step towards happiness, as well! 

Happy people know themselves

Happy people know who they are, and actively cultivate attitudes and habits that continue to enrich their lives. They manage their thoughts and behaviors, and regularly reevaluate what is working in their lives and what isn’t. Knowing yourself deeply and having an understanding of your strengths and areas for growth will help you address any blockages to happiness you may encounter on your journey. 

Happy people are spiritual

Gurudev Sri Sri Ravi Shankar says that faith in a higher power is the secret ingredient to finding and experiencing true happiness. Looking at your life through a spiritual lens can help you overcome symptoms of depression, and nurturing your relationship to the divine helps you feel supported, valuable, and connected to your purpose. 

No matter what your expression of spirituality is, no matter what spiritual or religious tradition you follow, seeking spiritual wisdom can help you find real and long-lasting happiness. 

Discover the 10 top ways to get happy now.

Meditation: the ultimate key to happiness? 

We know what all happy people have in common: so how can you bring about these qualities in yourself? How can you learn to have more gratitude, live in the present, become more generous, know yourself better, and connect to your spirituality, all at once? 

There is one powerful key that unlocks the door to happiness: meditation.

Nathaniel Hawthorne said that, “Happiness is a butterfly, which, when pursued, is always just beyond your grasp, but which, if you will sit down quietly, may alight upon you.”

“If you are quiet enough, you will hear the flow of the universe. You will feel its rhythm. Go with this flow. Happiness lies ahead. Meditation is key.” – said Lord Buddha

Happiness results from having a mind that is stress-free, a mind that is in the present moment.  

According to Gurudev Sri Sri Ravi Shankar, happiness depends only on your mind. When the mind is free of past impressions and future cravings, happiness blooms. 

He cautions, “Unless you realize who you are and what the nature of consciousness is through your own introspection, happiness remains a far-fetched reality. The spirit of self enquiry in the true sense, which leads to meditation, is absolutely essential in this quest for happiness.” 

What science says about the role of meditation in finding happiness

Simply put, meditation makes you happier. It’s a simple matter of brain chemistry: happier people show more activity in their frontal lobes, and when you meditate regularly, your brain literally becomes stronger and healthier in that exact area.  

While you work out your brain with meditation, there are other amazing things happening, too: your immune system becomes stronger, your response to external stressors changes, and your authentic personality blooms. Meditation helps you become exactly who you were meant to be and live a life of peace, success, and harmony.  

This is the best news of all: meditation can be simple, easy, and effortless.  

SKY Breath Meditation: the master key to unlock your happiness

When you’re ready to plunge into finding unshakable happiness, we invite you to join the millions of people around the world who have found lasting happiness, peace, and strength through Art of Living’s powerful signature SKY Breath Meditation. Joining this program will empower you with life-changing, proven tools to shift challenging emotions and mind states such as stress and anxiety to experience a lasting sense of ease and calm—anytime, anywhere.

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