 I’m reading a wonderful book at the moment titled Happier by Tal Ben-Shahar, Ph.D. He is a professor at Harvard University and currently runs the most popular undergraduate course in the university, not a bad accomplishment at one of the world’s finest universities!
So why are so many students who are enrolled at Harvard University flocking to see what positive psychology and happiness are all about? Could it be the same reason all the Sydney siders are moving into our region; the Australian sea change? The quest for happiness? A need for more than financial success?
Tal Ben-Shahar speaks of only two ways to achieve happiness:
1. We experience pleasure in the moment, or
2. We experience satisfaction of working towards achieving pleasure in the future.
In his book Happier, he describes four quadrants to the way we live our lives:
The Rat Racer
 Essentially the individual living in the rat race is constantly foregoing their current happiness for the goals of the future. Unfortunately, while they don’t enjoy the journey (their work and other commitments) they live in constant hope that when they achieve the next goals (a bigger house, a BMW, their children finish college), then they will be happy. Unfortunately for the rat racer they only ever gain a sense of fulfillment for a short period, which is more like relief than happiness, until the next goal is set and the work begins to ensure that goal is also accomplished. I’m sure you can see the looping pattern that ends in frustration and disappointment!
The Hedonist
 The hedonist is the complete opposite of the rat racer, they believe life is to be lived and the only time to live it is right now. They constantly sacrifice their future to experience pleasure, fun and excitement in the present. They will drink, party and do essentially whatever makes them feel great, with no regard for the consequences in the future. I’m sure you can also see how this life will eventually lead to a hollow and empty feeling.
The Nihilist
 The nihilist has simply given up on life. They don’t believe that happiness is possible and have lost all hope that they can have positive feelings in either the present or the future. The nihilist is essentially giving up because life just seems too hard with little rewards on offer. These people are constantly pessimistic and will refuse help or assistance at all costs.
The Happy Person
 This is the individual who truly enjoys both the journey and the destination. They learn not only for the sake of getting a better job, but also because they love learning for the sake of learning. This person is constantly striving for more in their lives, to become happier. The difference between the happy person and the rat racer is that the happy person loves each moment of working towards becoming happy. They revel in making changes and take the time to truly experience the best of what life has to offer in each and every moment. The happy person has truly learnt to combine both pleasure in the present and also to work towards happiness in the future. I know where I’m aiming to be!!!
Today I’d like you to think about what success really means to you. If you did have to fit into one of the above categories, where would you be? What would you like to change? What could you do right now to make a start on that change?
If you’re really ready to step up and start living life and need a little assistance to get started, please give me a call on 0409 224 303 and we can work on it together. | 
