Our full selection of articles exploring happiness.
Premeditatio malorum is the practice of visualizing what could go wrong in life in order to be practically and emotionally prepared for what may come. It is a key component of the ancient Roman philosophy of Stoicism. According to the Stoics of ancient Rome, by shielding yourself from the horrible things that may happen in…
Wondering how to be more playful in your life? Adults often find that responsibilities and seriousness replace the excitement and playfulness of childhood. But by being creative, spontaneous, finding work that feels like play, and being silly, you can cultivate that childlike spirit once again. Ever dream about being a kid again? It’s a common…
The Emotional Vibration Chart maps the range of human emotions to higher and lower frequencies. Peace and joy are higher vibration emotions, while shame and guilt are lower vibration emotions. By using the chart, you can understand which emotions are “higher vibration” and start to cultivate more of those in your life. You’ve heard people…
Happiness is subjective. But measuring happiness can be done using the subjective happiness scale, which you can also use to track your own happiness over time. Some studies also use behavioral observations and biological data to determine happiness. Measuring data by country requires using bigger picture metrics like life expectancy and per capita GDP. Each…
Understanding the circle of influence vs circle of concern means understanding what we can control, and what we can’t control. The Circle of Concern, Circle of Control, and Circle of Influence deal with exactly this issue. These concepts come from Stephen Covey’s 1989 book ‘The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People’. It’s tough to accept…
There’s no more time-honored morning routine than sitting down at the kitchen table with coffee, eggs, and the newspaper. But I stopped reading the news because it made me anxious. And it made me anxious because it was outside my Circle of Control. We’ve been trained in this habit. We mirror the behavior shown to…
Is happiness genetic? The Happiness Set Point theory that says 50% (or more) of your happiness is determined by genetic factors. The rest of your happiness level is determined by where and how you live your life, and your mindset. Studies have shown the most powerful way to increase your happiness set point is to…
According to Danish philosopher Søren Kierkegaard, “Life is not a problem to be solved, but a reality to be experienced.” Kierkegaard, along with other philosophers like Alan Watts and Rainer Maria Rilke, have argued that when you seek the answers to life, you’re asking the wrong question. Life is something to be experienced, not something…
Sometimes, you just have a bad day. It happens to all of us. But sometimes it’s possible to stop a bad day and turn it into a good one, or at the very least, slow it down. Let’s explore how to turn around a bad day. Whether it’s the proverbial “wake up on the wrong…
