Perfect Poise, Perfect Life
Bring your body into balance and revolutionise your life
By Noel Kingsley
Publisher Hodder Mobius
AVAILABLE HERE
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The Happiness Formula
What makes us happy is being investigated and discussed in the current BBC programme 'The Happiness Formula'. From the scientific to the off-the-cuff-comment, what is it that can make the difference and shift or mood upwards on the smile-scale? Material possessions are considered not to have lasting effect as their perceived happiness-giving-boost soon wares off and we're looking for more.
There are more fundamental factors that contribute to our sense of happiness, from health, relationships, contentment, security and money to transcendence and fulfilment. And although relationships registered a whopping 73% in an opinion poll, a surprising 56% rated contentment as being most important. Some comments included 'Happiness is going to sleep peacefully and waking up the next day', 'Being at peace with the way things are going.' 'Happiness is when you are OK inside about where you are and who you are', and 'Taking the dog for a walk'.
Contentment has been described as 'not fighting yourself'. You are content when the different parts of yourself make friends with each other. Discontent, on the other hand, is the result of a discrepancy between what you want and what you get.
Psychologist Ilona Boniwell says "The trick is that what really matters is what is going on the inside rather than the outside. In other words, what we want depends on us, rather than the situation, so by changing our perspective we can affect our level of contentment as much, if not more, as we could do by changing the situation."
As a famous saying goes, "change what you can, accept what you cannot and have the wisdom to know the difference."
For me, it can be a whole load simpler than looking for the right element and condition to make us happy. I believe it's a choice. I agree with Illona Boniwell, that it's what's going on inside that counts, and we have a direct influence over that. It's our choice. We can simply choose to be happy. But sometimes that can be difficult because we 'like' to hang onto our emotions and feelings. Letting go of a hurt, jealousy, rage, spite, disappointment, sadness and pain can be the hardest thing. We can justify our feelings easily. Shifting out of that state is tough, but it can be done. it's as easy as flicking a switch. I wrote about how I changed my emotions by choice when I was nearly hit by a car a while ago. Read here.
But I wonder if tthe programme will consider the influence of posture and body language on our mood. If we smile or laugh our body creates endorphins and shifts or happiness up a bit. We can probably choose to smile a lot more than we do. It's so much down to choice and the sense of happiness can be found so simply....if we choose. But often we choose not, and look for external reasons and excuses. Lift up your heart and be merry. Smile. Do it now. It truly is your choice.
The Happiness Formula: Wednesdays 7pm BBC Two
