What's Happiness Got To Do With It
The Dalai Lama shares that the purpose of life is to strive for happiness and that happiness gives us a sense of satisfaction. This leads to questions like what is happiness, and if I am not happy, what does that say about my life? I think the key word here is strive. Another one to add is authentic, after all not every situation calls for happiness. If you've taken the MOREcompassion course, you've explored the teachings of Marshall Rosenberg and non-violent communication where we learn that feelings can be pleasant, such as joy, happiness, optimistic, and grateful, or unpleasant, such as frustrated, afraid, upset, and angry. Feelings can simply be viewed as data points-- sensory information that lets us know if our needs are being met, or not. Needs are the core drivers and motivators within us. There are many universal human needs we can tap into like connection, meaning, peace, and physical wellbeing. When needs are met, our satisfaction increases. Likewise, when needs are unmet, we have a sense of dissatisfaction.
