Bursting Forth
Acrylic on Canvas/ gold frame/ 37” by 31” / 459
Flowers make me happy. I love visiting fragrant gardens and also enjoy bringing vibrancy home.

Positive Psychology

It may sound elusive, but being happy is primarily under under your own control. I have always thought so, which is not surprising, since I characterize myself as a glass is a half-full person. Born in a protective bubble, perhaps I am happy because of loving parents who had few expectations for me other than to be a good wife and mother. Without stress, I was free to study whatever I wanted and encouraged to take classes and get involved in activities of interest rather than for practical reasons. My university education was broad based, centering on ideas and concepts that expanded my understanding of the world. Increased curiosity made me thirst for new experiences that I anticipated would be joyful. I never imagined the bubble bursting to unveil tragedy. It was only with maturity that I learned that misfortune and adversity are part of most people’s lives, and mine was no exception.

And so, I was coerced to grow from struggles and develop coping mechanisms. There are times affliction made me stronger, so rather than complain, I explored how to emotionally benefit from what happened. I had to learn how to greet divorce, death and illness and transform the confusion and sadness they created into enabling energy. When my son was ill, I painted my grief on canvas and then researched every avenue for making him well again. As I did this, I noticed that planning ways to improve the future is enjoyable in itself. The process of engaging in possibilities provided motivation with feelings of hope and contentment. I said yes to life.

When told that a museum could not be built in Michigan, I was determined to ignore nay sayers and find ways to achieve my goal. The process was often fearful for I was forced to leave my comfort zone and do things, like fundraising and public speaking, that I never thought I could. As I succeeded I began more confident and stepped forward further.

I often wonder why so many people focus on negative events, digging trenches into sadness, and becoming frozen in the believe that they can not overcome adversity. The media takes advantage of this fascination with tragedy, showing grim images far more often than celebratory ones. By spotlighting negativity they contribute to a stressed, unhappy nation of people who view their glasses as half-empty.

I decided to do a bit of investigation on the subject of happiness and began by looking at wealth, since that seems to be an area of major discontent. I discovered that money is only important to the point that it provides freedom from worry about the basics. Once housing, safety, food, clothing and health care are provided the happiness that separates a billionaire from a family earning $50,000 is small. People in every socio-economic group, whether in tribal compounds, on family farms, or in senior citizen communities, can be found with positive, joyful outlooks. More important factors than money control mood and a positive outlook, though researchers have been slow in investigating (Treadmill, 2017).

It is only since the 1990s that psychiatrists turned their attention to positive psychology (Srinvasan, 2015). Previously, most researchers focused on abnormal behaviors like depression and schizophrenia, subjects they believed could be quantified. But, “Why not measure happiness?” thought Martin Seligman after his 5 year old daughter chastised him for being a grouch? He decided then and there, that rather than fixate on what was wrong, he would focus on what was right. Since contemporary living gives us time for play, why not understand what can be done to enhance feelings of joy?

Happiness is commonly defined as a state of well-being that comes from living a life with meaning, one that provides a deep sense of satisfaction. It results from both intentional and strategic planing though DNA also plays a role. Dutch researchers recently isolated three genetic variants of happiness (Woollaston, 2016). It is now thought that a large part of cheerfulness comes from the very structure of the human genome and is inherited. But, lest we be complacent, genetic makeup is only part of the story. Life circumstances, achievements, marital status, and social relationships are also important factors. Feeling happy is contagious and having family and friends nearby are major contributors to a sunny outlook.

Happy people do things in a slightly different way than unhappy ones, for they are willing to move out of their comfort zone and take risks (Biswas-Diener, 2013). Though they start with a set-point of contentedness they periodically move out in order to get a boost of joy before returning to their natural set-point. By continuing to engage in new behaviors, over time habits and choices begin to push the needle forward, providing an increased sense of well-being. I can attest to this growth in my own life. For years I was uncomfortable traveling abroad on my own until I finally decided to try going to Kenya on my own. The trip was exhilarating. Other people I met were often coupled in their home life, but traveled solo when they went on adventures. I enjoyed creating my own schedule, talking to someone as long as I liked, and not being asked if I was ready to leave. The next time an opportunity for travel presented itself I looked forward to the opportunity, anticipating a good time.

Happy people also spend quite a bit of time nourishing small pleasures. They indulge themselves by watching birds splash in a backyard fountains or sitting glued to a park bench as the sky turned rainbow colors at sunset. These small diversions provide entertainment and can give great satisfaction. Absorption in work, exercise, a good book, artistic challenges, enjoyment in setting and meeting goals, and getting in the flow give me a great deal of contentment.

Over the past 20 years, a series of interventions to promote positivity have been tested in labs. They may sound simple, but they work. Certain drills do bring about feelings of well-being. Two of the most documented activities are kindness and gratitude exercises devised by Keiko Otake (2006). Volunteers were asked to jot down and then meditate on facts of kindness (or gratitude) they engaged in during the week. They found that happy people become more kind and grateful simply by counting and acknowledging their actions. Regular practice in recognizing kindness and gratitude increases happy memories and improves the quality and quantity of happy moments. Over the course of a few weeks, as feelings of well-being increase, permanent changes are visible on brain scans.

A brain imaging study published in Social Cognitive and Affective Neuroscience explains why self-affirmation works (Jarrett, 2015). Subjects asked to focus on values and situations that gave them the pleasure showed increased activity in the part of the cortex known to be involved in expecting and receiving rewards. When directed to think of a time in the future when they anticipate having fun with family or friends, scans show even greater positive activity.

Each of us has the ability to cultivate what is best within ourselves and to enhance experiences of love, work, and play. Life is a see-saw that needs to adjusted and continuously put in balanced. There is no need to dwell on all of the negative garbage the media throws at us when happiness can be increased by practicing positive thinking and embracing the good in life.

References:
Biswas-Diener, R. & Kashdan, T. (2013) What Happy People Do Differently, Psychology Today. retrieved from https://www.psychologytoday.com/articles/201307/what-happy-people-do-differently

Jarrett,C. (2015) Brain Scans Can Help Explain Why Self-Affirmation Works. Science of Us. retrieved from http://nymag.com/scienceofus/2015/11/why-self-affirmation-works.html.

Otake,K. (2006) Happy People Become Happier Through Kindness: A Counting Kindness Intervention, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. retrieved from
https://uncch.pure.elsevier.com/en/publications/happy-people-become-happier-through-kindness-a-counting-kindnesse

Srinivasan,T. (2015).THe 5 Founding Fathers and A History of Positive Psychology.
Positive Psychology Program. retrieved from https://positivepsychologyprogram.com/founding-fathers/

Treadmill,H. (2017). The Art of Happiness. Psychology Today. retrieved from https://www.psychologytoday.com/basics/happiness

Woollaston, V.(2016) Is Happiness in Your DNA? Daily Mail. retrieved from http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sciencetech/article-3559114/Is-happiness-DNA-Study-finds-genes-affect-mood-prone-depression-neuroticism.html.

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Do share your happy experiences below.