It is true that all of us need a basic level of material security. But after that, more stuff does not bring more happiness. The research shows that sustainable happiness comes from other sources, like having meaningful work to do (paid or unpaid) and having authentic relationships.
In the nearly 20 years that Yes magazine has been covering sustainable happiness, they have found a remarkable consistency to what spiritual leaders, philosophers, and researchers say about it.
A starting point is to realize that we have choices. As concentration camp survivor Viktor E. Frankl, author of Man’s Search for Meaning, wrote: “Forces beyond your control can take away everything you possess except one thing: your freedom to choose how you will respond to the situation.”
Here are some of the things we’ve learned that you can do right now:
- Show up for your life mindfully
- Kick your addictions
- Find work you love
- Live simply and liberate your time
- Find and celebrate gifts—yours and those of others
- Give the gift of your time
- Choose gratitude
The good news for our world is that sustainable happiness doesn’t mean we have to use up and wear out the planet in a mad rush to produce more stuff. We don’t need people working in sweatshop conditions to produce cheap products that feed an endless appetite for possessions.
Instead, sustainable happiness is enhanced when everyone is doing well. It comes about in thriving communities free of the poverty and powerlessness associated with highly unequal societies. And it flourishes when we live in a healthy, natural world, where other animals, birds, and fish also thrive.
Repost ~ 7 ways to get happy sustainably | Yes! Magazine
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