Let’s face it, the concept of happiness is not top of mind for most people. You are not likely to hear it discussed as a leadership topic in the workplace. It’s not in any job description, it’s not a deliverable, a component of a mission statement, or a vision statement. Maybe in the context of customer service, the closest we will get to the term happiness is customer satisfaction.
We certainly won’t find the concept on any of the cable news networks. I’m sure you are familiar with the phrase if it bleeds it leads. And then we have network and television shows where people eat gross things or perform random weird acts to prevail as the “winner” of some contest. Seems like we are spiraling farther and farther away from the pursuit of happiness.
There must be something about happiness that matters. The concept of happiness is embedded in the founding document of the United States of America. Among the various concepts set forth in the Declaration of Independence creating this country was the pursuit of happiness. And yes, those high ideals were juxtaposed against slavery, involuntary servitude, limited if any rights for women, all occurring within lands first inhabited by the indigenous peoples of this country. But by isolating the concept of happiness and bringing it forward centuries later, I choose to look at a more perfect concept of happiness and not the imperfect founders involved in that process.
The concept itself is fascinating. Along with life and liberty, the pursuit of happiness was declared by the founding fathers as a God given right. Would not a declaration including the pursuit of happiness suggest that the colonists were living under conditions and circumstances in which happiness was not being achieved? Over the course of history, the concept of the pursuit of happiness may have been overlooked because the Declaration of Independence has no legal significance in our country.
It is the Constitution and Bill of Rights that serve as the bedrock to our formation of government and that which secures our individual rights. The American electoral process, the census, intellectual property rights, war powers, and freedom of speech all find their genesis in the Constitution and Bill of Rights. Sadly, even with my vivid imagination, I cannot envision a bespectacled politician touting a campaign platform of happiness for every resident in their congressional district.
The Merriam-Webster Dictionary defines happiness as: “a state of well-being and contentment” and “a pleasurable or satisfying experience.” Even as I type those words it feels that the fight to have or retain (if we ever had it) happiness is a losing battle. There just seems to be an unspoken desire for American society to live in conflict.
Yet, there are plenty of great books on happiness, including one authored by His Holiness The Dali Lama (The Art of Happiness: A Handbook for Living). The July 8-15, 2013, summer double issue of Time magazine featured “The Pursuit of Happiness” as its cover story. And even more recently, in the Fall of 2020 (mid-pandemic) Time published a special edition on “The Science of Happiness.”
Seemingly, there remains a flicker keeping this faint dying concept of happiness alive. But on a personal level you might be saying: “yeah sounds good but I don’t have time; that will take care of itself; it’s too much of a soft and nebulous concept that I cannot embrace.” But what if it is not that difficult? What might science say about pursuing happiness?
Research in resilience, well-being, and positive psychology informs us that if we pursue happiness, we won't find happiness. I'm certain that was not the response you expected. But it's not the pursuit of happiness in and of itself that will make us happy, it is the pursuit of meaningfulness in life where we will find happiness.
What can you pursue in the various domains of your life that is meaningful and will thus lead to happiness? This doesn't have to be limited to the work domain of your life. It could be spending more time with family; choosing to volunteer with a pantry food program (because you are food secure and want to give back to others); pursuing that musical hobby that you let go; spending more time with nature; or venturing out to form your own business after years of working for others.
Whatever you choose to pursue, be sure that it designed to be meaningful for you which will lead to your happiness. You have agency and you can make your own choices. Pursuing meaningfulness will do more than just make you happy. It will serve as an anchor to ground you during life’s storms. It will also serve as a shock absorber to the blows delivered by life’s traumas. Lastly, it will serve as a north star when you are losing your way.
Reflection Questions:
What are some of the things in your life that are meaningful to you?
What subtle nudges are you feeling in your life that might point towards happiness?
What memories or experiences come to mind when you think of happiness?