Happier (Book)
(Stupid sub-title that makes it sound like a run-of-the-mill self-help book)
To summarize the book: humans are made to strive to be happy, but happiness itself is always just out of reach.
To be content, admit that you will never arrive and be happy; simply strive to be happier: that is, day-to-day do what will keep you healthy and content in the present, but will also move you closer to your long term goals, spending your time, energy, and money on activities that will lift your overall wellbeing and health. Don't fool yourself into believing you will ever arrive or that there is something wrong with you for (1) meeting some amazing goal and then (2) immediately wondering why you still feel slightly empty, or feel the urge to do something else amazing. This is human nature.
(The journey is the destination, blah blah. You need to both be "climbing a mountain", and also "enjoying the hike" at the same time.)
Meaning, Purpose, Strength
Ben-Shahar lists these criteria in weighing options for building a career and for finding "one's calling." (See Purpose Greater Than Self ("Calling?") for a debunking of the strange idea that every person has one calling!)
- Find something that brings you meaning (see Beauty). This means working in a field that makes you happy, that aligns with your philosophy and your aesthetics and morals.
- Something with a purpose (see Goodness). This means feeling like the work you do helps make the world a better place. Aspects of your work itself should help you connect to people and be inherently worthwhile. Your work should not feel purposeless, or worse, detrimental.
- Something that plays to your strengths and skills (see Education). This means your talents are utilized and that you are challenged and appreciated.