Greetings, friends!
Everyone has their own, individual answer to the question of what happiness is, because everyone has their own desires, goals and ideals. This is where the individual’s individuality lies. But, despite the difference in the perception of happiness, the desire to be happy is present in every person. Today we will talk about what components of happiness are most important for most people, as well as about the rules and principles that allow you to make your own life happy.
Definitions of happiness from great people
Great people became great because they achieved success in their lives and became famous for something. I don’t know what about their own happiness, but they definitely know a lot about feelings and achievements. Being a great, famous person is a great test, and not everyone passes it with dignity. Therefore, from their own experience, from their observations, they defined this complex concept of “happiness”.
Let's see what it is in their understanding:
- “Many seek happiness in areas above their level, others below. But happiness is of the same height as a person” - Confucius.
- “The great science of living happily is to live only in the present” - Pythagoras.
- “You must believe in the possibility of happiness in order to be happy” - Leo Tolstoy.
- “Everyone chases happiness, not noticing that happiness follows on his heels” - Bertolt Brecht.
- “Time, money... Happy is the one who does not count either one or the other” - Alexey Ivanov.
- “In the building of human happiness, friendship builds walls, and love forms a dome” - Kozma Prutkov.
- “The greatest happiness in life is the confidence that we are loved, loved for being who we are, or despite the fact that we are who we are” - Victor Hugo.
- “Happiness does not come down to having money, it lies in the joy of work and accomplishments” - Franklin Roosevelt.
- “A man’s happiness or misery is chiefly the work of his own hands” - John Locke.
- “A person who is not busy with work can never enjoy complete happiness; on the face of an idle person you will always find the imprint of discontent and apathy” - Heinrich Goethe.
- There is no complete happiness without an admixture of suffering” - W. Shakespeare.
- “Nine-tenths of our happiness depends on health” - Arthur Schopenhauer.
- “If happiness consisted only in bodily pleasures, we would call happy the bulls who found peas to eat” - Heraclitus of Ephesus.
- Happiness is like fairy-tale palaces, the doors of which are guarded by dragons, and you must fight to master them” - Alexandre Dumas.
- “Unhappy is he who cannot forgive himself” - Publius Sirus.
- “People can only be happy if they do not consider happiness to be the goal of life” - George Orwell.
- “To enjoy happiness is the greatest good; to be able to give it to others is an even greater one.” - Francis Bacon.
- “One of the main signs of happiness and harmony is the complete absence of the need to prove anything to anyone” - Nelson Mandela.
- “Happiness is like health: when you don’t notice it, it means it’s there” - I. Turgenev.
- “Happiness lies not so much in possession as in the process of mastering the object of our desires. In order for us to be happy, our happiness must always lack something” - C. Helvetius.
This is the understanding of great minds. You may not agree with something. But there is truth in every statement. I think that each of these quotes is written with life experience and stuffed cones.
Wu-wei (Buddhist Taoism)
This word in Chinese means “contemplative passivity.” The world must be perceived as it is. You cannot try to change it as one person or even an entire nation wants. He who seeks to manipulate the world destroys it. However, inaction and passivity are actually not a vice, but a blessing, since it allows you to enjoy life and feel happy.
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There is an old Chinese parable that tells about the meeting of three Chinese philosophers who are supporters of different teachings. These are Confucius, Buddha and Lao Tzu. Based on this parable, an unknown artist painted the famous painting “Tasting Vinegar.” It depicts a large barrel with the said liquid, which represents our life.
All three thinkers try the vinegar. Confucius has a sour expression on his face. He believes that life is imperfect, so he grimaces when he tries it.
On the Buddha's face you can see sadly compressed lips and knitted eyebrows. How else? After all, he says that life is full of suffering.
Only Lao Tzu smiles. For him, vinegar is sweet because it teaches him to perceive life as it is. He says that you need to enjoy every moment of it. This is happiness.
What does happiness mean to me
The feeling of happiness is worth a lot. It is with the desire to be happy that people chase money, remove “extra” people from their path, and strive to “grab” more of everything. But does it bring the desired feeling? NO!
The pursuit of money, the pursuit of fame, the pursuit of happiness is just an unconscious desire to fill the screaming needs in your psyche for security, respect and acceptance of others, and freedom.
So in this pursuit there are those who consider happiness as the goal. They reason like this: “When I earn my first million, I’ll be happy,” “When I become famous in this industry, I’ll live happily,” “When I finish graduate school, go to work at a leading IT company, I’ll be a happy person.” But the years go by, but there is no satisfaction with life, life flies by in a 4x4 m office and where is happiness?
For me, happiness is balance and harmony in all areas of my life. Therefore, sometimes this word is considered difficult, because it is very difficult to maintain this balance. My happiness is in simple things and moments; in my own words it can be described as follows:
- a loved one is nearby;
- my health and that of my family;
- the ability to travel;
- freedom from opinions and judgment of people;
- faith in God, in the best, in yourself and the people around you - faith in something gives strength and motivation to live;
- good living conditions (more or less repairs and a neat house);
- when I have free time and I can spend it as I see fit;
- I have money for everything I need and a little more (well, “a little” is different for everyone)));
- activity and desire to act and change.
By the way, one day I seriously thought about this question, because many things in life did not suit me. Then I perceived happiness as a goal. And, naturally, she was very upset that achieving it can be very difficult, considered herself an unhappy person and, of course, blamed her loved ones for this!
But then I realized that I myself am “the architect of my own happiness,” and that after all, this desired feeling is in the little things, and not at the end of life. Therefore, I stopped living in dreams and consciously began to look for positive moments in life. And it worked!
Kuri
This is the new Scottish wellness trend. The word coorie in Russian means “to cuddle”, “to hug”. There is even a book by Gabriella Bennett called “Coorie.” The Scottish Art of Happiness. The author writes that the feeling of security is very important for the Scots. They love to be in the cozy atmosphere of their own home on cold winter evenings.
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Wear a warm sweater and wool socks. The firewood crackles merrily in the fireplace. The owner of the house sits comfortably in a chair. He holds a cup of hot coffee in one hand and a book in the other. This is Scottish happiness. To fully enjoy it, you need to know what real cold is. Practitioners of this trend are encouraged to first go hiking in the winter, and only then enjoy the warmth of the hearth.
However, the Coorie concept is about more than just a nice evening by the fireplace. For the Scots, the concept of Coorie is an embrace of nature. They say that happiness is security and unity with the outside world.
Examples of happiness from life
I'll start right away with an anti-example.
Everyone remembers the famous Russian fairy tale about the fisherman and the fish. What ultimately killed the old woman? Her dissatisfaction, inability to rejoice and be satisfied with what she has. Having received youth, a palace and wealth, she remained a curmudgeon and a muttering bitch in her soul. Therefore, she returned to her broken trough.
HAPPINESS IS IN CONTENT
An argument from literature will also be Pushkin’s poem “Ruslan and Lyudmila” - here the heroes overcome obstacles and achieve the only goal - to unite with loving hearts. It is after its achievement that this peace, joy and complete satisfaction with the present moment comes.
In various shows we can see examples of real bliss when “amateurs” perform complex dance tricks, vocal sequences or musical passages.
About six months ago I talked to a girl who went to Uganda as a volunteer. So she told me that in this nationality there are only 4 dishes that they prepare every day, and they have never eaten anything else. How happy they were when these people tried mashed potatoes, stew, and pizza. For them it was real happiness...
For my children, complete satisfaction with life comes at sea, or when they are fooling around with dad, or when their favorite crab stick salad is on the table! In general, I noticed that it is much easier for children than adults to feel happy.
And finally, 2 examples from famous people:
- Andrey Grigoriev-Appolonov, 44 years old, lead singer of the music group “Ivanushki International”: “It’s simple. For me, happiness is loving and being loved.”
- And for Ben Carson, happiness was to perform the world's first operation to separate conjoined twins.
And there are many such examples when people strive to achieve something important and achieve it when they love, feel love and are healthy.
Shinrin-yoku
This is a relatively new concept in Japanese philosophy. It arose in the 80s of the last century. Japan is a highly developed country where new cutting-edge technologies are born. Technological progress there has reached its maximum level. At the same time, thousands of Japanese people experience stress every day. Nature helps restore mental strength and the energy state of the body.
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For the Japanese, the forest is not only the progenitor of our civilization, it is also the main healer. Thousands of people flock to nature to find peace of mind.
Shinrin-yoku suggests that you can find health and happiness by “plunging” into the forest. To do this, be sure to leave your phone and other gadgets at home. Where exactly should you go to restore your disturbed mental balance? The body itself will tell you the route. Arriving in the forest, you need to forget all worries and just enjoy the rustling of leaves, birdsong, the aromas of herbs, and beautiful views.
How to become happy and successful
To improve your life, become happy, successful and rich, you can take an online course or training. Learning from a person who has walked this path will help you believe in yourself and achieve what exactly you want in this life.
For me, such a person is Pavel Volya.
His online course “Improver Express” will teach 3 main things:
- Initiative.
- Action.
- Efficiency.
The training consists of 23 chips. It was they who helped Volya turn from a simple beggar Penza guy into the highest paid presenter of the TNT channel and my favorite stand-up comedian. According to Forbes magazine, Pavel earns $2.5 million annually.
He has a happy family. Pasha is married to Laysan Utyasheva, and they have two beautiful children: Robert and Sofia.
The course is suitable for both men and women from 16 years of age.
How the training will take place:
- You receive theory and practical assignment.
- Do it.
- If you did it right, move on to the next one.
If you don’t mess around and do all your homework responsibly, then pleasant changes await you: at work, in your personal life, with relatives and friends. This will lead to more money, connections and success.
Cost – 15,000 rubles. with access forever, but there is also the opportunity to take the course for 3,000 rubles.
If within 2 weeks you decide that the course is not suitable for you, your money will be returned.
After registering for training, a girl from Pavel’s team will contact you and answer all your questions regarding the training. You will discuss payment terms with her.
Also in this article you will find reviews of all courses of the “Willpower” project from Pavel and Laysan Utyasheva.
Filotimo
This is a Greek word that is very difficult to accurately translate. The Greek "philos" in Russian means "friend". In this sunny country, people are very friendly and hospitable. They don't pretend when they sympathize with someone else's misfortune. If a friend or stranger needs help, the Greeks will provide it with great joy.
In Greek villages, a tourist who asks a local resident for a drink will never be simply released. He will be offered not only a glass of water, but also wine, bread, cheese, other food, even an overnight stay if the person has nowhere to stay.
Philotimo lies in this attitude towards people. This is the happiness of being needed, charity, good nature, optimism and hospitality at the same time.
Päntsdrunk/Kalsarikänni
These Finnish words are very difficult for a Russian person to pronounce correctly. Päntsdrunk is somewhat reminiscent of the Coorie trend. Both concepts are based on the Scandinavian coziness philosophy of Hygge.
Päntsdrunk is part of Finnish culture and is even mentioned in guidebooks around the country. The literal translation of this word means “drinking at home alone, wearing only your underwear.”
Finnish journalist Rantenen wrote a book “Päntsdrunk: The Finnish Way to Relaxation”, in which he writes that his fellow citizens began to drink in their underpants in order to stay at home and not go out during the cold season. This symbolizes maximum relaxation and brings great pleasure. It's slushy and cold outside, but at home it's warm and cozy. Why go somewhere if you can enjoy a fine drink and solitude, devoting time only to yourself? This is happiness in Finnish.
Ikigai
This is another Japanese concept of happiness. The word "ikigai" is used very often in this country. It is pronounced both in everyday life and on special occasions. It means what you want to wake up for in the morning, the meaning of life. Ikigai is the first ray of sunshine, shyly creeping across the pillow, and the breath of the breeze, and a cup of aromatic coffee, and the birth of a son or daughter, and the praise of the president.
According to the results of research by Japanese doctors, people who have acquired ikigai live much longer and almost never get sick.
How to achieve this happiness? Experts advise changing your lifestyle, removing junk food from your diet, not sleeping until lunch, but waking up with the first rays of the sun, and doing physical labor. You also need to become spontaneous and independent of the opinions of others, learn to enjoy the little things. It is in this way of life that happiness lies.
