Week 20

*For explanation of The Happiness Experiment" go HERE .*


Last week's secrets"
Don't let your entire life hinge on one element.
Share of yourself.


Secret # 39
Busy is better than bored.


"Find something to do, because the feeling that we have too much to do is much more pleasing than the feeling that we have nothing to do."


I don't know what I would do if there wasn't anything on my to-do list. Even though I complain about the list never ending. About checking one thing off just to put another on. But honestly, it feels good to keep checking things off. It gives a sense of accomplishment. Even if it is just cleaning out the microwave, it feels good to get it done.


"In studies of college students, those with more demanding schedules were 15 percent more satisfied with life. Despite the more demanding schedules, the individuals studied did not experience any more stress than those with less to do."


Secret #40
Satisfaction is relative.


"Your happiness is relative to a scale you yourself have created. If you measure your satisfaction right now against the two or three greatest moments in our life, you will often be unhappy because those moments can't be duplicated. If you measure today's satisfaction against some tough days you've had, you have all the reason in the world to appreciate this moment."

When you have a bad day, is it bad compared to your wedding day or other celebration? Or is it bad compared to last Tuesday? It's all relative. Is your work life good or bad compared to your home life or vice versa? You need to compare your work days to other work days, not days at home. Happiness, I'm learning more and more, has a lot to do with your perspective.


"Not surprisingly, surveys find that happy people tend to have more positive experiences that unhappy people. What is striking is that, objectively, their lives aren't really much different. Studies find that happy people experience much the same range of events as unhappy people. The real difference is in what they define as positive and negative. Happy people are those who use a lower threshold in order to label an event positive." 


Review:
Busy is better than bored.
Satisfaction is relative.


20 weeks now. Are you happier? Even just a little? I think I am. It is a constant job reminding yourself of all the secrets and trying to stay positive, but if it can help change some habits and way of thinking than it is worth it.