January/February 2005
The Pursuit of Happiness
Happiness means different things to different people. For some, it’s getting your heart’s desire. For others, it’s appreciating what you already have. And some of us believe happiness is as simple as a nice dip in a duck pond on a warm summer’s day. While we may not agree on what exactly happiness is, a clear majority of Americans agree on one thing: They’re happy.
In a recent Time magazine poll, 78 percent of those surveyed said they feel happy most or all of the time. As newspaper headlines remind us daily, joy is a fragile thing. With the Asian tsunami causing untold suffering and the 9/11 attacks causing unimaginable grief, it may seem that seeking personal happiness is a trivial thing.
But it’s not at all. Truth is, we can’t live without it. Thomas Jefferson understood this when he wrote in the Declaration of Independence that the “pursuit of happiness”—right along with “life” and “liberty”—are “inalienable rights” that cannot be taken away.
We take that right very seriously. Pursuing the “American Dream” is widely considered a means of achieving happiness. But is happiness ever something that is “achieved” or is it something that we must continually pursue? And what is it that makes people happy anyway? We hope as you read this issue of Duck Tales™ that you will examine your own “happiness quotient” and discover a thing or two about boosting it. So here’s to happiness!
The Happiest People on Earth
Who would have guessed? A third world nation plagued by poverty, disease, and political unrest was declared the nation with the happiest people on earth. A study of more than 65 countries by New
Scientist magazine finds that Nigeria tops the list as the happiest country, followed by Mexico, Venezuela, El Salvador, and Puerto Rico. The bottom three nations, in terms of happiness levels, were Russia, Armenia, and Romania.
Factors that make people happy vary by country. In the United States, which ranked 16th, personal success and self-expression are seen as the most important factors for determining happiness, while in Japan, fulfilling family and societal expectations is highly valued. The researchers described the quest for material goods as “a happiness suppressant.” They say that happiness levels have remained nearly the same in industrialized countries since World War II, even though income has risen considerably.
So what is it about Nigerians that makes them so unusually happy? “We Nigerians look after each other,” says one woman. “If I know you and you are hungry or ill I will try to help.” Her friend offers an explanation too: “You see (our happiness) in how we move. It’s a movement inside us and in society. We feel full of music and love of God.” The survey, completed in 2003, and conducted about every four years, is a worldwide investigation of socio-cultural and political change.
Battling the Blues
The power of a positive attitude is indisputable—but even your best efforts to find that silver lining don’t make you immune to an occasional off day, when things just don’t seem to go your way. You can change the way you feel, however, says one expert, who offers these tips:
- Fake it to make it. Even when you don’t feel like smiling, act and appear as though you feel great. Not only will those around you respond positively, but before long, you will too.
- Find the ideal in the real. However unpleasant the situation may appear, there always are ways to improve it. Accept the realities of the circumstance, but don’t dwell on what can’t be changed. Instead, try to envision what you’d like to happen in the future.
- Move to improve. The best antidote to sluggishness is action. Clean off your desk, read the newspaper, or walk around the block. Activities can do wonders for your mood.
- Dare to be fair. When things go wrong, it’s easy to look for someone to blame. Don’t judge anyone—including yourself—for circumstances that cannot be changed. Instead, focus on the good qualities you and others have to offer.
- Don’t choose the blues. How you feel is a matter of choice. In the words of Abraham Lincoln, “Most people are just about as happy as they make up their minds to be.”
Cultivate Joy
Looking for greater happiness in your life? A University of California psychologist offers these tips to keep you smiling:
Count your blessings. Keep a “gratitude journal.” At least once a week write down three to five things you are thankful for. It will help you see the positive in your daily routine.
Demonstrate kindness. Be kind to friends and strangers. Let the stressed out mom go ahead of you in the checkout line; invite an elderly neighbor to dinner one night. Being kind triggers a chain of kindness and makes you feel generous, capable, and connected to others—which you are!
Forgive others. Holding grudges hurts only you. Let go of anger by writing a letter of forgiveness to someone who has hurt you. You don’t have to deliver the letter— just get the angry feelings out of your system.
Socialize. A satisfying life has far less to do with how much money you make, where you live, and your job title than it does with forging social bonds with others. Go out of your way to socialize—you’ll feel the difference.
Practice healthy habits. Get plenty of sleep, exercise regularly, eat well, and schedule routine medical checkups. A healthy body helps keep your mind healthy.
Learn how to deal with stress. Stress is inevitable. Your job is to figure out how to cope with it in a healthy way. Religious faith gets many people through hard times, while others find comfort in a positive secular attitude, such as “If it doesn’t kill me, it will make me stronger” or “This too shall pass.” (Of course, tossing your local ducks a few bread crumbs is considered a very effective stress reducer too!)
An Antidote to Regrets
If only I hadn’t said that.” “If only I’d been better prepared for that meeting.” “If only I’d said something when I had the chance.” How many times do the words “if only” pass your lips? Perhaps no two other words are more damaging to the human psyche. They wear us down, make us feel small, and cloud our vision to the good things in life.
When you’re feeling bad about an action you took or didn’t take or about words you said or didn’t say, step away from the situation for a moment. Ask yourself if this perceived problem is worth so much of
your time and anxiety. Wouldn’t you rather spend your time in a more constructive way? If so, ask yourself if there’s anything you can do to remedy the situation. Is it too late to say the right words or to somehow fix your action?
If you feel your situation cannot be remedied, you have two choices: You can continue to fret about it, or you can chalk it up as a lesson learned and do your best to see the humorous side of the situation—because it’s almost always there.
Dual Satisfaction
It’s no coincidence that when employees are satisfied, customers are more likely to be satisfied. But how can companies concentrate on quality, productivity, and superior service, plus keep their staff happy? Here are a few suggestions on creating dual satisfaction:
Hire right. Today’s job candidates often come to an interview better prepared than the person conducting the interview. To make the best analysis, interviewers must begin with a current and detailed job description. While a description of the job and company is essential to the process, interviewers should concentrate on more open-ended questions to help them determine which candidates are most suitable for the position. These questions should center on areas such as attitude, motivation, and other areas applicable to job compatibility.
Lead with knowledge. Employees who have the opportunity to learn and work more productively are apt to be more satisfied, which is more likely to lead to enhanced customer satisfaction. Watch for and correct any obstacles to knowledge-enhancing work. Most often, problems arise in the form of training, attitude, or systems.
If you’re happy, I’m happy. The importance of superior interpersonal skills among managers cannot be overrated. Essentially, most people appreciate the same traits in supervisors, including good direction, tactful critiques, fair treatment, attentive listening, and providing encouragement.
Defining Happiness
We all have our own definition of happiness. Here’s what some of the great thinkers (and a few humorists) have to say on the topic:
“The Constitution only gives people the right to pursue happiness. You have to catch it yourself.”—Benjamin Franklin
“When one door of happiness closes, another opens; but often we look so long at the closed door that we do not see the one which has been opened for us.”—Helen Keller
“Happiness is having a scratch for every itch.”—Ogden Nash
“Happiness is good health and a bad memory.”—Ingrid Bergman
“Happiness and moral duty are inseparably connected.”—George Washington
“Happiness is when what you think, what you say, and what you do are in harmony.”—Mohandas Gandhi
“The supreme happiness in life is the conviction that we are loved—loved for ourselves, or rather, loved in spite of ourselves.”—Victor Hugo
“Happiness is having a large, loving, caring, close-knit family…in another city.”—George Burns
“Happiness is a butterfly, which, when pursued, is always just beyond your grasp, but which, if you will sit down quietly, may alight upon you.”—Nathaniel Hawthorne
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