Happiness

Today is Canada Day and a suitable day to reflect on happiness, given we live in the best country in the world.

I've been reading a book by Robert Houlden (of The Happiness Project) called Success Intelligence. Essentially the question is, does success bring about happiness? Does going faster, quicker, harder, more... make us successful and/or happy? The answer... not really.

There are essentially three levels of happiness:
1. Happiness comes from out there - in this case happiness depends on something outside of us - on our spouse, our house, our car, our job, our career, our iPhone... whatever it is - our happiness is intrinsically tied up with what we have. If we have a great job, or lots of money, then we think we'll be happy.

2. Happiness is something we create - so through our thinking, our attitude, our compassion, our forgiveness, we can create happiness in our lives.

3. Happiness is something we are - that essentially, at the core of our being, we are beings of joy. If we get under all the neuroses, all of the ego stuff... we are creatures of pure joy. This happiness can't be taken away, can't be altered. No matter what is going on in our lives, this joy is always there.

So the question is... does success create happiness... or does happiness create success. Yep, the second one... The author suggests that we follow our joy, which probably isn't going to be the 80 hour job that takes you away from your family, your home, your life. What is it that you are most joyful doing and being? What is your passion? What is your joy?