Happiness Is a Journey Not a Destination

Hey, have you ever wondered what it would take just to make your life a lot happier? Like, if you can just get the right job, or marry the right person, or have enough money, whatever it is, something that’s instant and then leaves you in this permanent place of greater happiness, wouldn’t that be lovely? Well, of course, it’s not very realistic. No matter how happy we get, there’s going to be times in our life when we get a setback. And the truth is, happiness, our happier states, are more or less destined to be a journey, not some place where we just land on stage. But we can, in fact, grow happier if we take concrete steps towards those skills that we need to build in order to be happier people. So in this video, I’m going to show a few techniques that take us further on that journey towards happiness. So, subscribe to my channel and let’s get going.

As a coach, public speaker, and best-selling author, I teach topics just like this one all around the world. So, stay tuned, and I’ll give you practical tools that you can use to make both yourself and those around you both happier and more successful. So, the first thing I want to talk about today is that if you want to be taking that journey towards a happier life, more than anything else, you have to actually engage actively in that goal. And it’s not just to have the goal, but do things that make you happier. And the science is super clear that shows that those people put an effort into growing happier, learn some of the techniques, some of the skills that are teachable, they do, in fact, grow happier. And there’s many basic interventions. And so, my first tip to you, and I know it sounds really self-serving, but it’s sincere, there are new posts that I put here every Sunday, teaching some of these techniques to a goal happier all the time, and they’re all science-based. They’re not goofy pop psychology stuff. It’s the hard stuff that if you do it regularly, you will, in fact, get happier.

And one of the things that’s really quite clear about some of the science is that it’s not the duration of one particular intervention. Like, “Oh, I’m gonna meditate for a day,” or “I’m gonna have a gratitude list that’s 24 hours long.” You know, it’s not the duration or the intensity. “I feel so good about this one thing I’m doing right now, and it’s so intense, so I must get happier.” It’s not duration, it’s not intensity, it’s the frequency with which we practice. It’s a lot like going to the gym. You could go to the gym and workout all day long and say, “Oh, my goodness, I’ve put in 24 hours of a workout, I’m gonna be so strong from now on.” And of course, no, you’ll be sore and hurt. And if all you do is not go to the gym the next day, and the day after, and the day after, you won’t get any stronger. And the same is true for the happiness interventions that we can teach. It takes work at it to stay with it and make progress along the way. And if you’re frequently practicing, you will, in fact, get happier.

Also, I’ve got for you a link to a previous video I’ve done that’s all about the ritual of gratitude. It’s not the occasional moment of gratitude but the frequency of doing a ritualistic gratitude practice that is scientifically proven to be one of the best ways to grow happier. So, check out that video in the link below. So, before you do anything else, why don’t you go down to the comment section and make a note about things that you presently do that you consider part of your practice to grow happier? I’m sure I’d be loving to see it, and other people in the community will benefit from what you want to show there.

I’ve got a second tip for you to get genuinely happier, to move yourself along on that journey towards a destination of happiness, is to take some kind of course, a happiness course, which I offer, my online course, all those other ones out there, and they’re very good. Invest in learning some of these techniques. And another really intense way, a way to really beef up your intervention is to get coaching from a positive psychology person like myself, or other good people who are out there. And when you get that one-on-one coaching, not only do you learn some of the techniques, but you’re held accountable to do the things on a frequent basis that you commit to. There’s lots of good books that could take you further down this path. So, go get the resources. They will teach you, whether it’s through courses, or a coach, or books, apps, that kind of thing.

And there’s a link in the description below to a document that I’ve given away for free here. It’s just got some of the best books, some of the best apps, and other resources you can use to, in fact, get happier in your own personal life. So, the point of this simple video today is really, if we just invest in a regular practice to make ourselves happier, and get the resources so our practice is informed by good science, you will, in fact, grow happier. And I’m happy to help people personally. Send me an email. That’ll be my email, it will be in the link below, too. I genuinely want the world to be happier, that’s my mission in life. I know it sounds profound, but if you like this video, like it. If you want to share it, share it. Subscribe to my video channel, you’ll get a video every Sunday morning. Hit the little bell thing and, you know, YouTube will tell you when there’s something new. Thanks for watching. Bye for now.