Finding Happy

This week I was fortunate enough to listen to a podcast by Commander Mark Divine on his Unbeatable Mind show. The podcast feature Mo Gawdat and his new book "Solve For Happy". Mo is the Chief Business Officer for Google X. These guys are the governments version of the Skunk Works from the 1950's and 60's. They think huge, massive ideas that change the way we live and interact with each other, the world and beyond. At one point in time in Mo's life he became completely and totally unhappy  with life and the world he created around him. It didn't matter how much wealth, fame, and material things he accumulated. The more of these thing the less happier he became until one day he decided he could know longer stand looking at himself in the mirror. It was at this time he decided to revert back to his engineering and math skill to see if he could solve the equation for happy. Mo's did only what he knew he could do and that was to rely on books, so he dedicated himself to read as much as possible to see if this Idea was possible. 

Happiness is equal to or greater then your perception of the events of your life, minus your expectations of how life should behave.  

Which means that if you perceive the events as equal to or greater then your expectations you are happy or at least not unhappy. The trick though is not the event that makes us either happy or unhappy. It is how we think about it that determines whether we are happy or unhappy.  So the question is why do we allow ourselves to be consumed so often with unhappy thoughts throughout the day. Why do we take a situation that we are unclear about the results or even motives and we turn it on it's ear and blow it so out of proportion when 9 times out of 10 the event is no where near near the levels we put it at in our brains and thoughts. I have spent a lot of time thinking about this idea for the past week and spent time putting it to the test..... It amazed me how often I let myself take off with negative thoughts about a situation, a person or a place in time. At times I had to laugh at myself about how utterly ridiculous i was being. I challenge you to do the same. Put this equation to the test in your own life and if you come to the same results I have.... It's time to change the way we think about happy. Read the book.

"THE GRAVITY OF THE BATTLE MEANS NOTHING TO THOSE AT PEACE"