​The Connection Between Meaning and Happiness

Carl Rogers, one of the founders of humanistic psychology, said, “The good life is a process, not a state of being. It is a direction not a destination.“
 
The term ‘the good life’ is used in positive psychology to talk about what makes for a fulfilling and happy life. Research shows that the good life isn’t a thing: it’s not a vacation destination, an iPhone, or owning a house. While things can bring us happiness, we quickly adapt to the happiness they bring, and they become stale. When that happens, we need more of it to keep getting happy. Think about it: if you’re planning your nextgetaway the second you get home from a vacation, where did all that happiness go?

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So what makes for lasting happiness? Research shows that one way to have deeper, more lasting happiness is to engage in meaningful activities. Activities become meaningful when they involve your deeper values. When you are acting in line with your values, you tend to feel more in sync with yourself and what is important to you.

Do you know what’s most meaningful for you? Here are a few resources to help you figure it out:

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1) You can start simply by asking yourself what’s most important to you in your life. There’s a great exercise for that here: http://www.thehappinesstrap.com/upimages/Values_Questionnaire.pdf
 
2) Franklin Covey offers a free mission builder website – it’s excellent and helps you dig a little deeper into what is important to you. You can create one personally or for you family. You can find that here.
 
3) You can take the free Values In Action Survey that will rank you on 26 strengths (known as values in action). Click here for the survey. You can use your top 5 to start exploring how those values show up in your life and how to involve them to create more meaning for yourself.
 
All of these activities will help you get to know what you value better. I hope that you will use them to start a conversation around how you can have MORE of what you value in all areas of your life. You might even do it with your partner or friend – it can be powerful sharing it with another.
 
If you would like more information on how to apply the tools above in your life, simply hit reply and we can set up a free consultation to talk about it.
 
Wishing You All the Best,
 
Jen