Happiness

Another one of my favorite movies is Tombstone.  After settling in Tombstone, Wyatt Earp (Kurt Russell) takes his stud for a ride in the hills outside of town.  By chance, he encounters the beautiful Josephine Marcus (Dana Delany) riding her mare through the same hills.  Together, they ride the hills and plains for a while then stop to rest.  As they sit resting, Josephine looks into Wyatt’s eyes and asked, “Are you happy?”  He responds, with a snort, “What kind of a question is that?” 

I think that is one of the questions we all ask of ourselves and to those we care about in life.  So, let me ask you – are YOU happy?  What would make you happy? 

Martin Seligman, known as the founder of positive psychology, in his work entitled Authentic Happiness: Using Positive Psychology to Realize Your Potential for Lasting Fulfillment, offers his thoughts on eight factors of happiness.

                        Money – materialistic people are not happy.

                        Marriage – married people are happier than single individuals.

                        Sociability – happy people tend to lead a “rich and fulfilling social life.”

                        Gender – “Women are both sadder and happier than men.” (what?! J )

Religion – “Religious people are consistently shown to be happier and satisfied with life   than nonreligious…”

Illness – “Illness does not affect satisfaction or happiness…”

Climate – climate has no effect  on happiness

All the above factors account for 8 to 15 percent of our happiness.  What makes up the other 85 to 92 percent?  According to Seligman, it is

Character! -  “happiness has little to do with pleasure, and much to do with developing personal strengths and character.”

Character is made up of universal virtues found in every culture past and present – and I might add, future!  Character includes the qualities of wisdom, knowledge, courage, love, humility, and spirituality.  We achieve these characteristics cultivating and nurturing personal strengths such as valor, integrity, sharing, kindness, sacrifice, and patience.

The apostle Paul says this about character development:

Not only so, but we also glory in our sufferings, because we know that suffering produces perseverance; perseverance, character; and character, hope.   And hope does not put us to shame, because God’s love has been poured out into our hearts through the Holy Spirit, who has been given to us (Romans 5.3-5, NIV).