By Lisa Cypers Kamen.
Are high-achievers happier than the rest of the population? Is there a relationship between goal achievement and happiness?
Curiously, there are people who have achieved great things in life but aren’t necessarily happy. Conversely, there are those who have achieved very little by today’s standards yet seem to be quite content.
This is a question worthy of contemplation. An ever broader question pertains to the concept of one’s purpose beyond the concept of goal achievement. If we feel we have a purpose in life, are we happier? If our existence serves others, do we experience a greater degree of happiness? And if this is so, should we be rethinking and redefining our goals and our purpose in life?
It seems that one question begs another. We need to sort this matter out. Indeed, our happiness depends on it.
This leads us to search within ourselves to find our own personal brand of happiness. When we are busily achieving our goals or serving a purpose, we feel energized and engaged. But once we have met our goals and fulfilled our purpose, what then? Are we satisfied? Have we found that deep sense of lasting contentment? Or do we then go about setting new goals or seeking a new purpose?
It appears that our happiness may be conditional upon our choices and activities. Happiness, in this case, is based on external circumstances. However, quite possibly, happiness comes from a different place altogether. And the answer may surprise you. As with all things in life, we have a choice.
Lisa Cypers Kamen is a filmmaker, positive psychology coach, author, host of Harvesting Happiness Talk Radio, professor and lecturer specializing in the field of sustainable happiness. She is widely recognized as an expert on the subject. Lisa’s acclaimed documentary film co-produced with her now fifteen year-old daughter, Kayla, “H-Factor…Where is your heart?” explores how people in varied circumstances find, generate and share happiness. In addition to her film on happiness, Lisa has also published a number of articles and books entitled, Got Happiness Now?, Are We Happy Yet?, Leadership: Helping Others to Succeed and Reintegration Strategies, about combat trauma and using positive psychology principles to create wellness in a post-war new normal. Lisa’s written work is featured on blogs for the Huffington Post, PositivelyPositive.com and InspireMeToday.com and she is a TEDx community event speaker. In addition, she is the Happiness Expert for the Florida Department of Citrus/ Florida Orange Juice in its Take on the Day campaign.
Harvesting Happiness for Heroes™ is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit corporation that delivers stigma-free integrated combat trauma recovery services to warriors and their loved ones. Modalities include scientifically proven strengths based Positive Psychology coaching and interdisciplinary tools such as film, yoga, meditation, art and creative writing designed to mindfully empower the client to achieve increased self-mastery, self-esteem and reclaim her/his life. HH4Heroes focuses on the balance of mind, body and emotion resulting in greater overall wellbeing and the transformation of Post-Traumatic Stress (PTS) into Post-Traumatic Growth (PTG). HH4Heroes offers retreat workshops, one-on-one coaching, Battle Buddy programs, as well as our new R.E.B.O.O.T Online virtual community coaching classrooms designed to reach underserved areas. In addition, HH4Heroes deploys Return to Duty™ civilian and corporate training to help welcome a warrior home and into the community and workplace.
Lisa is committed to teaching Happiness is an inside job™ and helping others end their needless suffering through intentionally cultivating greater joy.
Beautiful, Thank you Lisa It makes us all think, How to be happy? it doesn’t matter what kind of achievement you had in the physical World. I urge you all to stop and think for a moment. It is the most rewarding thing which would make our relationship better, communication better, we can do our work better, make us sleep better, we feel very confident of whatever we do, it can certainly erase suicidal attitude from anybody, some people who fall out from relationship matters often become depressed and see them selves not worthy, if they know how to be happy then they knew the Universe is very large there would be somebody for him or her. Thank you for your words of wisdom and my blessings..
Thank you for your kind words Arulampalam! I enjoy your feedback and being in the company of a like-minded thinker and “feeler”. Best wishes to you!!! Blessings, Lisa