Posted on September 24th, 2008 by admin

In the best of all possible worlds (at least my version of it), kids would go to school and take courses in language and communication (both foreign and domestic), civics and history, natural sciences, mathematics, cultural subjects, and happiness. Each year, students would deepen their understanding of what it takes to be happy, which paths lead toward, and which lead away from, a life of fulfillment.

The point here is that you learn to be happy. Happiness is not something you’re born with, although the capacity to be happy is innate, and your natural proclivity is to want to attain it. The difficulty comes when people don’t recognize this, when they develop the feeling that some people have happiness and some people don’t, and then give up trying to develop their ability to be happy because they imagine themselves to be members of the second group.

Happiness is deepened through practice, through discipline, through staying the course even when you don’t feel that you’re making much progress. Getting better at something is not a steady climb, like a rocket’s. It usually involves great strides at the beginning, and then a slowing down, maybe even what feels like a standstill. This is when you find the going most difficult. It is natural to suspect that you’ve reached your limit, but be assured that striving to be even more mindful, even more happy, will produce greater results when the time is right.

If you are a parent, teacher, aunt or uncle, or grandparent, start right now with the children in your life. Teach them about happiness. Take the principles and suggestions in this book that seem to have merit to you and apply them in your mentoring or leadership role. Show your kids what true happiness means by living it, not just talking about it. The next time you suggest to them that you all dress properly and go out for a walk in the rain, or get in the car and go for a ride without a destination, they’ll know something is different. And they’ll love it.

Tags: happiness, how to be happy, true happiness