By Mark Kaplan / February 15, 2020
Happiness can be our lifestyle because we choose the right behaviors and attitudes. Each day we can begin with the perspective that we are going to make it a good day. We can pre-plan the activities that make it a good day for us.
Happiness is a Scientific Reality
Happiness is a scientific result of behaviors. We often think that events or possessions are happiness, but in Nature’s eye, we get happiness rewards for engaging in survival behaviors. In modern times, that often allows us to buy things the advertising media seduces us to think is happiness.
Happiness results when we experience the hormones or neurotransmitters stimulated by certain thoughts, intentions, actions, and conclusions. The stimulants we seek are dopamine, serotonin, oxytocin, and endorphins. If you enjoy any of these, you have stimulated them.
Those who are successful often have happiness because their lives include the right behaviors. They have probably become successful because these behaviors are their focus more than their goals of success. Behaviors come first.
Behaviors Stimulate Happiness
What are behaviors that stimulate happiness and lead to success? Learning, creating, contributing, health and fitness are five good ones. If you look at successful people and work their success backwards, you will probably find each of these behaviors in their focus.
To be a leader, we need to learn. Many famous leaders like Bill Gates, Warren Buffet, Mark Cuban, and Barack O’bama, to name a few say life long learning is a key to their success and a staple habit in their day. In any career or profession, leaders learn the fundamentals and then they learn the advanced practices. Because we live in a changing world, learning can never stop.
Creativity is the difference between being a commodity and being a leader. Every field has products or services that soon become commodities, but leadership is earned by the those who make the next step. The most important people in any enterprise whether a large organization or an individual effort, are those spending time looking for the next iteration.
Contribution is a measurement of the value we add to current lives or practices. In the final analysis, our rewards are commensurate with the value we add. This can be important in relationships, organizations, society, and for the planet. Daniel Pink in Drive said we have an innate desire to contribute to the bigger picture.
Health and fitness are self-rewarding. If they are not, we probably won’t engage in the discipline necessary for making us the best we can be. Our energy, health, and longevity depend on this selfish effort to take care of ourselves. The rewards to everyone can be enormous when we have become the best version of ourselves.
Happiness is the Journey
Working with these principals our value and enjoyment of our life will grow. Happiness is a journey because Nature decided that she would only reward us when we were taking on challenges, helping other people, and taking care of ourselves. Some might think this a narrow range of activities to enjoy happiness, but to those who subscribe, it is a whole life of rewarding behaviors.
Read The Good Life Plan by Mark Kaplan See Excerpts
Read Creating Your Own Happiness- Lifestyle Self-Coaching Course by Mark Kaplan See Excerpts
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