Remarkable Research On What Truly Creates Happiness

In a massively important study about what makes people happy, Sonja Lyubomirsky, Ken Sheldon, and David Schkade proposed a formula for happiness after conducting extensive research on twins.

They found that genetically, people have a natural temperament that leaves them at a certain “set point” of happiness. This they believe accounts for 50% of a person’s level of happiness.

Next they looked at circumstances surrounding a person’s life, including “income, family dynamics, health, and the place you live-all of which can be changed, but usually not very easily or quickly.” They found circumstances accounted for 10% of someone’s level of happiness. That left a massive forty percent to still be accounted for.

The researchers found that daily “intentional activities” and thoughts accounted for the remaining 40% of a person’s happiness. These activities can drastically raise one’s natural set point and are all within a person’s control.

The challenge for many people, as Bruce Wilkinson points out, is that the evidence shows only about 5% of people have a vision for what they are to do with their life. The other 95% had their vision criticized and so they gave it up.

People often say that money does not buy happiness, but is this true? The reality is that research has shown that having an excess of more money than is needed to pay for a descent standard of living does not bring more happiness. Studies have shown that once basic needs are taken care of any more money a person has above that needed income really does not impact their level of joy.

However, lest we sound dismissive, the honest truth is that being broke can be incredibly stressful. (In fact, in 95% of divorces couples cited arguments about money as the number one reason for their conflict.) However, overall it is not income but experiences that bring the most passion to life.

One definition of leadership states it is the ability to see things how they could be, to have a vision for what is possible.

It is important to be honest in your own assessment of where you are in areas of happiness and goals and relationships and finances. You have a happiness set point, but almost half of your level of fulfillment comes from your intentional thoughts and actions.

But you can’t go to where you need to be without first knowing where you are. One simple strategy is to rate where you are in the major areas of life on a scale of 1 to 10 (with 10 being perfect.) Next simply answer, what would it take to make that area a 10 (i.e. relationships, health, finances, etc).

Today begin to take back your vision, even if you gave it up because someone criticized it. As someone once said, there are two rules of life; number one, never give up, and number two, never forget rule number one.