Who Knew These Two Things Were All We Needed To Be Happy

I take a look at a Harvard study that explains what is really needed to live a longer, happier life.

Photo by Helena Lopes on Unsplash

“Very little is needed to make a happy life; it is all within yourself, in your way of thinking. -Marcus Aurelius Antonius

The ever-elusive answer to “happiness” has baffled scholars, psychologists, and the every-day human for millennia. There are countless articles, written books, and podcasts on the subject — happiness, and how to find it. I have done quite a bit of research myself and have practiced several techniques to reach a state of happiness I’m content with. They never really work. To be clear, these techniques were not sustainable. They helped, sure, but meditating 7 days a week and keeping a gratitude journal just didn’t bring me true happiness.

In an era when levels of depression and suicide rates are skyrocketing, I imagine this hangs on the minds of many. For goodness sake, Suicide rates are the highest they have been since WWII.

FIGURE. Percent change in annual suicide rate,* by state — United States, from 1999–2001 to 2014–2016