HAPPINESS IS…..??????
In their new book, “Who Are You and What Do You Want – A Journey for the Best of your Life,” Mick Ukleja , Ph. D, and Robert Lorber, Ph. D. share some interesting statistics about happiness from a book by Silverstein and Fiske which reveal that we Americans are, for the most part, an “overwhelmed, isolated, lonely, worried, and unhappy lot.” These were the responses received :
Never have enough time 54.8%
Don’t get enough sleep 53.8%
Don’t spend enough time with friends 51.5%
Worry about my health 40.1%
Working harder than ever 38.0%
Feel a great deal of stress in my life 36.6%
Don’t feel appreciated for all that I do 36.5%
Am happy with my appearance 30.5%
Am happy in my romantic relationships 17.8%
Only 39% agreed with the statement, “I have the right balance in my life;” only 37% with “I feel like a part of my community;” and only 33% (one person in three) with “I have a lot of close friends.”
In “The Progress Paradox, Gregg Easterbrook writes, “The disabled and chronically ill report a slightly higher sense of well-being than the population at large; they have a higher appreciation for the value of their own lives.”
What is thought-provoking for me about these studies is that we as Americans have the highest standard of living in the world, the most access to all kinds of goods and services, and a longer life span than ever before. Yet look how many people are unhappy with their lives!
What really caught my attention was the statement about the disabled and chronically ill being bappier than the rest of the population, and it triggered for me this question:
MUST WE HAVE A LOSS OF SOME KIND IN OUR LIVES IN ORDER TO APPRECIATE HOW GOOD WE REALLY HAVE IT?
What do you think?
Here are Owen and Simon Gawlik, my precious new little grandchildren. They and Gavin and Kinsey are MY happiness! 😉
If you want to make your workplace happier, read “CARE Packages for the Workplace — Dozens of Little Things You Can Do to Regenerate Spirit at Work” by Barbara Glanz, www.barbaraglanz.com/products/books.php3.
