Where to Find Happiness?

Where to Find Happiness?

Sarah van Gelder, co-founder and editor in chief of Yes Magazine, has adapted an article from her book, Sustainable Happiness: Live Simply, Live Well, Make a Difference, to address what actually makes us happy? From A Brief History of Happiness: How America Lost Track of the Good Life—and Where to Find It Now:

“In the last 100 years, we got very confused about happiness. This is no small thing. The way we define happiness drives what we do, what we’re willing to sacrifice, and how we spend our money and our time.”

“Sustainable happiness is built on a healthy natural world and a vibrant and fair society. It is a form of happiness that endures, through good and bad times, because it starts with the fundamental requirements and aspirations of being human. You can’t obtain it with a quick fix; sustainable happiness cannot be achieved at the expense of others.”

She clarifies how we got to where we are as a culture on the issue of happiness, and refocuses the conversation back onto what has been proven to endure as sources of lasting fulfillment.

These 5 components towards this goal are identified as vital and elaborated on:

1. Stop the Trauma
2. Create Equity
3. Value Everyone’s Gifts
4. Protect the Natural World
5. Develop Well-Being Practices

To read the entire article and more about Sarah’s prescriptions for where to find happiness, see A Brief History of Happiness: How America Lost Track of the Good Life—and Where to Find It Now