Happiness - part 2

We recorded this 2-part podcast in a very special, happy place for us, a tiny village in southern Spain, and we discuss happiness. What are the important elements of happiness for us? We touch on nature, slowness, timelessness, lack of a need to perform, presence, mindfulness, space, absence of self-doubt, the somatic experience of emotions (positive and negative), purpose, personal values, truth, freedom, pleasure, positive relationships, flow states, physical and mental wellbeing, success, attention, lightness, play and the relative joy of carrots. We discuss some formulas for happiness, for example the relationship between happiness and success, or the relationship between happiness and expectations of life. We also discuss some distinctions for example between happiness and pleasure, happiness and desire, and happiness and purpose and we dig a little deeper into the purpose of negative emotions. We discuss some important practical tips, we suggest to try for example meditation, gratitude writing, reflecting on personal values, lowering of expectations (desire what you have, not what you don’t have), internalising goals that you have control over (and don’t try to control things you don’t have control over), reasoning (present the negative feeling with evidence of the opposite), changing our beliefs (accept people do what they can with the resources they have), or practising kindness and compassion.