Seeking Serenity by Amanda Enayati

Seeking Serenity by Amanda Enayati

Author:Amanda Enayati
Language: eng
Format: epub, mobi
Publisher: Penguin Publishing Group
Published: 2015-02-03T16:00:00+00:00


Internal Motivations as a Pathway to Meaning

“It is a characteristic of the American culture,” wrote Viktor Frankl, “that, again and again, one is commanded and ordered to ‘be happy.’ But happiness cannot be pursued; it must ensue. One must have a reason to ‘be happy.’” This reason to be happy—this essential “why”—is why we must be resolute in our quest to move beyond extrinsic motivations. Because it is through a life filled with the pursuit of intrinsic motivations that we find the entry points to the pathway to a meaningful and joyful life.

In her Atlantic article, “There’s More to Life Than Being Happy,” Emily Esfahani Smith, a gifted writer who examines various aspects of positive psychology, concluded that while there is a great deal of overlap between happiness and meaning, ultimately a meaningful life is healthier than a happy one. People who lead meaningful lives have stronger immune systems, they have a greater sense of well-being, and they’re more resilient. Rather than being an extrinsically motivated “taker,” focusing on achieving a meaningful life leads us to being a “giver.” “Happiness without meaning characterizes a relatively shallow, self-absorbed or even selfish life, in which things go well, needs and desire are easily satisfied, and difficult or taxing entanglements are avoided,” wrote researchers.76

As a society, we’re seeing the beginnings of a conversation about not defining our well-being solely by economic growth. Increasing numbers believe that gross domestic product as a wealth indicator should be expanded to include well-being and happiness. And similarly, each year the United Nations International Day of Happiness is celebrated with a campaign coordinated by a nonprofit movement of people and organizations from over 140 countries who aim to measure progress by an increase in human happiness and well-being, rather than a growing economy.77

Closer to home, individuals and families should invest more time in thinking about their goals, how well they are meeting them and whether they are happy with their choices. Ultimately, true happiness derives from living a daily life that is in accordance with a core set of intrinsic values. It is not based on external praise or validation, but is self-referenced and flows from a core of meaning and service.

The brief exercises below can help you begin to understand where you might fall on the intrinsic-external value scale, and help you to define your life goals and critical measures of well-being.



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