Happiness

The inherent task that most people immerse themselves in is the pursuit of happiness. There are of course many ways in which an individual may attempt to seek happiness. However, this pursuit may perhaps be futile, as it involves the idea that once you get what you want, you will be happy, and that you will not be happy unless you have attained a certain goal. This process may be inevitably disappointing because happiness ultimately exists in the pursuit itself.

TED Talks is a website that presents free lectures and keynote speeches by some of the world's most successful, insightful and knowledgeable people on the planet. The talks are meant to inspire, inform and motivate individuals to better themselves and the world.

Many of the talks discuss the issue of happiness, an emotion that many adults find hard to evoke once they're engulfed in their careers. It is revealing to note that many of these speeches are addressed to company workers and executives in the Western world. This suggests that our emotional health may be at risk because of the very philosophies that revolve around our culture.

Dr. Srikumar Rao, a professor at Columbia University suggests that happiness should be found in the process, not the outcome. We are often so transfixed on the finish line that we lose focus on what really matters, the journey. This is an old philosophy that has been fallen by the wayside in our society.

Srikumar Rao: Plug into your hard-wired happiness | Video on TED.com



Another talk given by Dan Gilbert, author of "Stumbling on Happiness" and Harvard psychologist, suggests that we will be happy in any circumstance because we have our own "psychological immune system" that allows to find that happy state. We must be aware of this hard-wired happiness to truly unlock that sense of fulfillment.



What I have gathered from these pieces is nothing new, just old adages presented in different manners. The message for me is loud and clear, often repeated, and for good reason. "Live in the moment" and "be grateful for what you have, it could always be worse".

We are often grumbling and complaining and hoping for future outcomes, so much so that we forget to see the positives right in front of us.