When it comes to happiness, I believe many of us often make the wrong choices. It is probably due to the fact that we have a false sense of what will bring us what we are looking for.
Money, for instance is still avidly pursued by many, as though it held the key to happiness. However, studies have shown that the link between money and happiness is minimal. Yet, given the choice between working at a job that they love and working at a job that they don't like but that pays 20% more, research has shown that most people would choose the higher salary.
The thing is, if you are going to spend 40 hours a week working, which equals to about 1/4 of your week, why would you consciously choose to spend that amount of time working at a job you dislike?
We also make the wrong choices because sometimes the right ones require more effort. Exercising regularly and eating healthy food both help promote happiness. The reasons are simply that exercising and certain food release serotonin in the brain (the happy hormone). It's chemical! So, why aren't we all sweating it out at the gym, filling up our fridges with fruit and vegetables, our pantries with sardines and flax seed and getting off prepared and sugar-filled foods? Are we not able to go beyond instant gratification?
Choosing happiness is a lot of work. It means reevaluating your choices. It means getting rid of old thoughts and old habits. It means restructuring your brain so that your actions become consistent with your goal of achieving state of wellbeing.
I am certainly not suggesting banishing all sinful pleasures of life! However, when your wrong choices BECOME YOUR WAY OF LIFE, then maybe it is worth revisiting some of them in order to make sure that they take into account both your day-to-day happiness as well as your long-term happiness!
If you like this post, pass it along. To receive posts as they're being published, you can either send me an e-mail at alina500daystohappiness@hotmail.com or join the facebook group: 500daystohappiness
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