While taking a fundamental online course on “Managing Happiness” from Harvard University with professor Arthur Brooks, Ph.D., I realized something worthwhile. Through this class, which is available to people who don’t otherwise attend the university, I discovered how anyone can achieve happiness anywhere, no matter what is going on in their lives.
For me, this class has opened my eyes to all the possibilities in life. It has helped me discover things I never knew before and showed me how to make the most of everything I have. These are important steps for me to take so I can become a better leader in this world. I’ve always been motivated to find happiness, but educating myself about how I can be even better at it is what has served me the most. I know I’ll need these skills throughout my whole life.
What was especially interesting about this class is that its subject matter is related to positive psychology. It has inspired me to be more passionate, resilient and dedicated in life. It showed me that even if life can be challenging for people like me who have mental health diagnoses, taking steps to push myself and get out of my comfort zone can be amazing. These steps include adapting to changes, practicing gratitude, becoming more involved in society, finding my purpose, valuing connections with others, and learning and educating myself as much as possible. Professor Brooks has taught me to do all this throughout the course, but in order to keep doing these things, I must also keep prioritizing self-care.
Taking this class gave me the energy that I needed to plant the seeds of happiness for the long run. Trust me, because of my depression, I’m someone who is easily drained around people. Before, the smallest tasks often made me tired, but now, I feel energetic, connected, productive, creative and involved.
Furthermore, enrolling in the class was an important step for me when it comes to exploring my inner self and creating a plan to feel more confident and lively. It makes me feel better that I’m at least slowly making an effort to do so while also realizing that I don’t have to make huge changes to improve as an individual. For the most part, the progress is a rewarding experience on its own.
All things considered, my “Managing Happiness” class allowed me to make plans to take charge of my own happiness and live a happier life.
Positive psychology
In professor Brooks’ interview with professor Peggy Kern, Ph.D., an associate professor at the University of Melbourne, she said, “Positive psychology is looking more at the full sort of human experience of what it looks like to not just survive life, but to really thrive in life.”
Both Kerns and Brooks agree that there’s nothing wrong with “faking it ’til you make it.” By doing this, you’re learning to keep a positive attitude even when things go wrong, because you know it’ll make you stronger, as they both explain. To this, Brooks adds that this attitude “is like working a muscle, it gets stronger.”
The lesson here is that happiness doesn’t just come to us; it’s something we have to work for with everything that we have, and we can do this by building positive relationships, living a healthy lifestyle, setting goals, and pursuing hobbies and activities. This is something Brooks tries to demonstrate to his whole class through his lectures, interviews, lesson plans and discussion posts.
In fact, the first thing I learned in this class about happiness was that you should reinforce positive behaviours in order to feel positive. As professor Brooks believes, we can’t just feel happy to be happy. We have to prática happiness to feel happiness. He wants us to be doing things that bring positive energy back inside us.
In Brooks’ interview with Dr. Whitney McFadden, a psychiatrist who’s fascinated with the study of happiness, McFadden said, “When you start to look objectively at yourself, that’s when you actually can remove yourself from the emotion, observe it and change it.”
Remember, you don’t have to be perfect. We’ll all have days where we’re sad, but that’s what will show us the true value of what makes us happy. In the course, Brooks even mentioned how happiness is just as important as eating, calling it a vital nutrient.
Human connection
Another valuable lesson I learned in this class was about human connection. I realized how important it is to thrive alongside others, whether it’s in your personal relationships, in your community or with members of your faith. By and large, all of these things are vital to living a happier and healthier life. This class encouraged me to become open to volunteering and to discover what organizations I’d be interested in joining. It also prompted me to seek out enjoyable clubs and activities, do fun things with my family, catch up with my friends, and find ways to share my experiences with the world.
One thing I need to mention is that when it comes to being involved and connected with family, friends and the community, this doesn’t even have to be anything big; it could mean simple things like going to the grocery store where there are tons of other people. Just by doing something small like this, you’ll slowly begin to feel more comfortable in your own skin. You’ll see how good you become at making connections, no matter how nervous you feel. Eventually, one small step at a time, you’ll go far!
Whatever our mission is in life, it’ll ultimately involve people and serving them. That’s the main reason we all do what we do.
If you want to give back to the community but feel anxious because there are so many people, you don’t have to jump into joining a large organization right away. You can start off with a small charity and then go from there.
When it comes to friends, if you feel uncomfortable hanging out at a frozen yogurt place, you can start at your house. With family members, you can start connecting by talking to them and building a relationship, and then progress to doing fun things together. There are so many ways to help others and make a difference in this world, especially by building stronger and more meaningful relationships.
All of these pursuits will be positive additions to your life’s purpose. You’ll be on a mission to learn, help, grow and spread happiness so it rubs off on others—the last point, especially, could be a useful skill that helps you in the long run. Whatever our mission is in life, it’ll ultimately involve people and serving them. That’s the main reason we all do what we do.
In Brooks’ interview with Paul Zak, Ph.D., professor at Claremont Graduate University, Zak said, “Positive social content will cause the brain to make more or less oxytocin.” If you’re wondering what oxytocin is, that’s exactly what it is: The creation of positive feelings in the brain because of the positive encounters we have, whether those are with family, friends or other people.
Professor Brooks believes that when we learn to make sacrifices and give back, we’ll become even happier than we are when we receive things from others. Indeed, this won’t be a smooth ride, but we’ll be rewarded with gratitude. If we’ve fallen off the path, our family, our friends and our communities can remind us to give to others and cultivate gratitude.
Love is everything
Inspired by the Dalai Lama, Brooks has stated that:
Happiness comes from being useful and having a life’s purpose, and that purpose, the purpose that we have, our highest purpose is caring for each other, lifting each other up, remembering that each of us is one of seven billion human beings.
These words illustrate the importance of companionship. They outline what God has called us to do, and remind me of what I value most in my life: family, friends and community. Each group contributes to my growth in one way or another, and makes me notice that if it wasn’t for the people in my life, I don’t know where I’d be. Brooks’ quote shows me the importance of love and how it can create a positive impact in our lives in order to heal us all.
Brooks also says, “Happiness can be observed, measured and improved,” and “Happiness is something you can share with others.” Both these things are true, and additionally, he believes that we’re happier when the happiness is shared.
Managing happiness together
If you’re someone who has depression like me, you’re not alone. Together, we can work on making a plan for living life to the fullest and becoming the best version of ourselves. We’re fighters, so we’ll learn a lot about happiness along the way, and we can reduce social stigma by coming together and sharing our voice.
Thank you professor Brooks, for this course and the interviews that guided us students towards finding our own purpose that will help us lead happier and more fulfilling lives.
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