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Hi Team,

This week's email is a bit late, due to an unexpected eye operation I had two days ago. I had been having some blurred vision in my right eye for a few weeks, so I went to the optometrist three days ago and discovered that I had a detached retina that required emergency surgery the following day. Everything went well and I'm home and up and about on light duties for the next week or so. This was a completely unexpected turn of events and I am very lucky that this problem was diagnosed and acted on so promptly.

This week I would like to start exploring a very meaty topic that I am particularly interested in and is very relevant to the post COVID world we are all living in; the topic of happiness! This is a topic that has been studied and discussed throughout human history and according to Wikipedia, more books have been written about happiness than any other topic about human psychology. So there is a lot to explore when it comes to happiness and I will endeavour to unpack the main concepts over the next 2 or 3 Weekly Emails.

Several sources have pointed out that generally we are terrible judges of knowing what makes us happy. One of my favourite TV characters (Don Draper from Mad Men) summed it up perfectly by stating "happiness is the moment before you need more happiness". We rarely notice happiness while we are experiencing it, we only notice a lack of it once it's gone. Similarly, the pain of losing something is often much greater than the happiness of actually having it.

Happiness is often confused with pleasure as both are really just a state of mind. Pleasure is short lived and is largely dictated by external events, whilst true happiness is more of a long term feeling more closely aligned with contentment and your sense of worth. People who focus on materialistic pleasures often end up unhappy and unstable, "pleasure is mostly a superficial form of happiness".

Trying to be happy never actually makes us happy. True happiness can only be achieved by training your mind. How we perceive our situation determines how content we are at any given time. So, your state of happiness is not really determined by money or possessions; it is a product of your inner contentment and acceptance of who you are. Likewise, our level of dissatisfaction depends on who we compare ourselves to. This is why social media is causing so much anxiety and depression, especially amongst the younger generations. Instagram and Facebook are sources of constant comparison with those who are wealthier and more beautiful, which often breads envy, frustration, and unhappiness.

"The antidote to greed and envy is contentment." Dalai Lama

The last three months have shown us all that life is not always fun and sweet-smelling roses. Much of the world’s population is suffering hardship and uncertainty at present, but we must accept that struggling against adversity is a natural part of life. Accepting this and facing the challenge head on is the pathway towards tolerance and a positive mindset. According to Buddhism suffering comes from ignorance, envy, and hatred. Therefore; controlling your negative emotions is necessary for maintaining a basic level of happiness.

"Happiness is letting go of what you think your life is supposed to look like." goodhousekeeping.com

Next week I will present part 2 of "The Art Of Happiness", so stay tuned and stay happy.
Thanks for reading.
David

PS: Just in case you missed it; I have successfully managed to use quotes from Don Draper and The Dalai Lama in one email!!