Formula for Happiness?
If there is such a thing…
There are many quotes to be found on the Internet saying something in the line of: There is no way to Happiness, Happiness is the way. This quote, which is believed to be ancient, comes from the religion of Buddhism and was said to be spoken by Vietnamese Monk named Thich Nhat Hanh.
This teaches us that happiness is not something we can find through material gratification, happiness is something which resides inside our hearts. This makes us wonder on how to achieve the feeling of happiness. Does it just manifest in our heart from nothingness? When man has no goals in life, no destiny, or nothing to strive for, then happiness is actually hard to be found in life.
In psychology it is a well-known fact that the mind is highly stimulated from reaching goals (no matter how big or small) and the celebration of that accomplishment. It doesn’t just give us purpose, it also gives us validation and a sense of well being.
So how do we reach our goals? Many have great ideas and take many steps to attempt to reach their goal. Unfortunately many also fail at their attempt. Reason why is that we (more often than none) get discouraged when we encounter a setback. Multiple setbacks will eventually stop us, and then we just give up.
But what if there would be a more logical sense to obtaining our goals. Not just jump the gun when we have an idea, but actually build a plan around the idea in order to achieve realization of it. What if there was a formula for happiness, that would give us a much better chance of reaching our goals?
It is said that life is actually very simple, yet life is not easy. Although continued effort will help overcome obstacles when life isn’t as easy as we want. Though once we pass that stadium, we can see how simple things can sometimes be in life. Finding happiness, successes, and even love actually have a very simple equation. Though let me remind you once again, simple doesn’t mean easy.
Formula: Risk + Effort / Balance = Happiness
This formula works in all instances, in all parts of life and in all ways imaginable. Taking a Risk is step one. That’s where you get out of your comfort zone and take a shot into the unknown. When you accomplish that you will have already won half the battle. Because this is one of the harder things to do for many of us.
When you took a Risk to go beyond what you normally would do you will have to persist. This is where Effort comes into play. You need to put in the Effort to make things work the way you intend it to.
Lets say you take a step out of your comfort zone. You have a special someone in mind and you ask him/her out (Risk of being turned down). When the person agrees to a date, you better well put in the Effort. And not just putting in the Effort while dating, but also when the date turns into a relationship. Effort is not a temporary thing you can discard when the Risk you took turned into a success.
You might ask yourself where does divided balance come in. This is a mandatory step to take, or better said; Balance needs to be present in everything you do. Look back on the previous example. You Risked asking someone out on a date, then you put in the Effort to make it work. But what happens if the Effort is out of Balance between the two of you? When all the Effort is one sided, then there will never be Balance. Hence, there will not be a positive outcome of the equation. In the example of a love relationship (any relationship for that matter), that could mean a breakup.
Everything in life needs Balance. This counts for anything you do. In 99% of the times anything you do entails other people. For example in business it might be your employer, coworkers, or your clients. Where in a love relationship it’s your lover, children and/or relatives. That’s why Risk + Effort has a divided Balance, since both Risk and Effort takes two parties to make it work.
When one takes a Risk, puts in the Effort, but those steps aren’t Balanced between you and the other(s) involved, the outcome will be grim. Yet when we work together, love together, put in the Effort together, then yes the final outcome will be positive in all instances.
Risk + Effort / Balance = Success
Risk + Effort / Balance = Love
Risk + Effort / Balance = Happiness
Risk + Effort / Balance = Luck
Risk + Effort / Balance = Health
Etc…
Whatever your goal, whatever your task at hand, when keeping to this simple equation, your endeavors will be fruitful. It might not be easy all the time, but that’s exactly the point. We humans would not find a sense of well being and gratification in life if everything was easy. Because the mind needs to accomplish things in order to feel satisfied. And that is ultimately the way to Happiness.
Andrew Schultink is a Certified PSYCH-K® Facilitator and PMA Talk Therapist
