I read this article in the Reader's Digest in April. I thought it was such a great article describing how happiness is not the lack of trials and problems. It quoted Viktor Frankl as saying, "Everything can be taken from a man but one thing: the last of human freedoms - to choose one's own way." He suggests that we need to find meaning and purpose in our life to truly be happy.
The article suggests that we will not find happiness in one's own pursuit of happiness, but rather looking outside of ourselves. "In a study published in the Journal of Positive Psychology...researchers found that...people leading meaningful lives get joy from giving to others. 'Happiness without meaning characterizes a relatively shallow, self-absorbed, or even selfish life...'"
I didn't agree with every thought in the article, such as "research that showed that parents are less happy interacting with their children than they are exercising, eating, and watching television." But I did love the idea that, as stated by Martin E. P. Seligman in the article, we "derive meaning from giving a part of [ourselves] away to others."
Anyway, it is a good read so check it out! A reminder that what we often think will give us happiness - our needs being met, a focus on ourselves, getting what we want, etc - does not, in fact, produce the desired result.
