The number of times I heard the word “Happiness or Happy†to wish our friends the Chinese Newyear moved me today. The same thing happens on most feasts isn’t it? Happy Newyear; Happy Divali; Happy Easter; Happy Sankranti or Merry Xmas
I had earlier written a blog on Happiness and had brought to contribution one of my favourite mystics:
Happiness is our natural state. Happiness is the natural state of little children, to whom the kingdom belongs until they have been polluted and contaminated by the stupidity of society and culture. To acquire happiness you don’t have to do anything, because happiness cannot be acquired.
You don’t have to add anything in order to be happy; you’ve got to drop something. Life is easy, life is delightful. It’s only hard on your illusions, your ambitions, your greed, and your cravings.
Today on reading Guy Kawasaki’s blog, I was again awakened to the question of “Happiness.†He quoted:
Andrian White, a University of Leicester Psychologist who wrote on Self Well Being ( SWB) Factor of nations wherein Mauritius would rank 73th on the World Map of Happiness. I would only wish that we climb the ladder of the ranking!
Whilst the interest in SWB within positive psychology is to be welcomed it is interesting to note that the commercial development of the subject is in the very countries where SWB is highest. This leaves positive psychology open to the accusation of selling self-help to the worried well. The current lack of positive psychological studies in countries where levels of SWB are low does nothing to assuage this concern. It is worth asking where are the positive psychological studies exploring the effects on SWB of providing healthcare and education to communities that have never before has access to such resources? An approach that explored these questions really could be called positive psychology.
EXTRACT FROM THE PAPER OF Andrian WHITE
I wonder: how is it possible that the inhabitants of Paradise Island have such a low SWB ranking? It is worth noting that Denmark is at the top of the heap whilst our neighbour Paradise Island Seychelles is ranked 20th. Why?
My meager contribution to the positive psychology to increase in our country is to offer to you and your friend the location of a free e-book of 90 pages: How to Be Happy and Have Fun changing the world.
Be Happy!