The "Secret" to Happiness

According to Merriam-Webster’s Online Dictionary, the definition of happiness is a state of well-being and contentment or a pleasurable or satisfying experience.

A recent study of almost 150,000 German adults spanning over 25 years, reinforces what has been long understood - that the quality of our primary relationships in life are the greatest predictors of our long-term life satisfaction and happiness.

The researchers found several correlations between life choices and life satisfaction:

• Marry well: The personality traits of partners influenced people's happiness. People who married or partnered with neurotic people were less likely to be happy than people who married non-neurotic types.
• Focus on the family: People who assigned relatively high value to altruistic and family goals compared with career goals were happier. Women were also happier when their male partners ranked family goals high.
• Go to church: People who went to church more often were happier, though the study can't determine whether the happiness is related to religious views or to the social circle religious organizations offer.
• Work, but not too much (or too little): People who worked more or fewer hours than they preferred were less happy. Working less or being unemployed was worse than working too much, presumably because underemployment is a financial blow, the researchers wrote.
• Get social, and get moving: Social interaction and exercise were both associated with happiness. Working out made people happier regardless of body weight.

As King Solomon wrote in Ecclesiastes 2:  A man can do nothing better than to eat and drink and find satisfaction in his work; another finding of the research reveals once again that money doesn't buy happiness.

"People with a lot of money are more satisfied with their lives... but mainly due to the more interesting and challenging jobs they have," study author Gert Wagner, a researcher at the Max Planck Institute for Human Development in Germany.

"Money is simply a byproduct of good and satisfying jobs. If you want to be satisfied with your life, you must spend time with your friends and your family."

Ensuring our priorities are balanced, we have healthy, close relationships with our friends and family, we are engaged in challenging work, and exercising regularly will help us be happier.

But what about the fact that family members pass away, marriages sometimes end, and millions have lost access to challenging work lately...can we still find happiness?

In Philippians 4, Paul writes that “I have learned the secret of being content in any and every situation, whether filled or going hungry, both of having abundance and suffering need. I can do all things through Him who strengthens me.” 

The person Paul refers to is Christ…ultimate contentment that surpasses any circumstance or trial, can only be found in the relationship with the One who created us. 

Comments

[JME]

I have always worked long hours but got laid off a year ago before I was ready for retirement.

However, as with most things it turned out for the best because my wife and I are now closer and happier than ever before in our marriage. It turns out we really like each other, and now have the time to enjoy spending our time together instead of pursuing our careers.

The only problem I have is that I suffer from lower back pain as a result of my job, and I have to spend some time every day trying to overcome this problem through exercise and medications.

But I also have found happiness is more a state of mind than some great feeling.

Thanks for a nice article.

John

[keny]

good posting.lot of stuff here for discussion.i will come back soon.keep it up.