Happiness - a misunderstood term

Happiness is not the pursuit of hedonistic joy or the compulsion to show your living the awesome Instagram life - it is and includes struggle and strangely sadness.

My practice is about teaching people how to be happier - this article resonated with me as it tackles one of the problems of definition I come up against.  Happiness is not the pursuit of hedonistic joy or the compulsion to show your living the awesome Instagram life - it is and includes struggle and strangely sadness.  It must include satisfaction and acceptance of the simple moments.  Most of us strive for happiness - the difference is in definition (understanding what it is) and navigation choices (how to build more of it).

One of the things I particularly love about the piece is that it references the term "ataraxia" which means a 'state of tranquil calm and freedom from tension/stress'.  It is so central to my approach that a decade ago I named my business after it (my coaching practice is called "Donovan Ataraxy").

I’m always happy to pass on and share great info, and this is great info! I’ve included a few snippets below lifted from the full article.

Three simple takes from the piece:

1. As Epicurus saw it, happiness is merely the lack of aponia – physical pain – and ataraxia – mental disturbance
   
2. happiness is ...... "the moment before you need more happiness"
   
3. "life would not be worth living if it floated only between peak experiences"

For me and in my practice, I like to focus finding a balance between hedonism and capacity building.  For example, if you eat only for "happiness" - most people would be heavy and diabetic.  it is a poor strategic 'happiness choice' because we know that eating healthily builds capacity for more fun and less suffering in the future.  But to eat nothing but super healthy food could be more effort and less joy could also be a poor strategic 'happiness choice' because it may contain too much sacrifice now for a future that doesn't exist.  Being mentally fit, confident and as engaged with the world as you can be given your context is about all we can, and in fact ought, to built towards.

Do you need more detail on this subject? Head on over to the full article here for more ideas and perspective. What do you define as Happiness?  I'd love to read your comments.