Four Pillars of Happiness
What are the 2P and the 2S leading to happiness?
The four pillars presented in this post are areas of growth and development essential to our journey towards happiness. We will call them the 2P and the 2S of happiness. The 2P of happiness are Physical and Psychological growth whereas the 2S of happiness are Social and Spiritual development. We need to grow not in one but in all four of these areas to have a happy lifestyle.
Let’s examine these four pillars (Physical, Psychological, Social and Spiritual) to help us grow. They will help us maintain our aim toward happiness while living through difficult situations.
Physical Growth (Active body)
A sharp mind grows in a healthy body.
To assure healthy physical growth, we must maintain proper eating, resting and exercising as part of our daily routine. Also, addiction-free persons have a better chance of a happy lifestyle.
Psychological Growth (Alert mind and kind heart)
“The greatest discovery of my generation is that human beings can alter their lives by altering their attitudes of mind” William James
We are fortunate to be more than our physical selves. We have our minds and our hearts where growth is also possible.
To maintain psychological growth, our mind gains in being active with continuous learning projects. Activities such as reading, writing, developing projects as well as making decisions on things important to us, help to keep a healthy mind. If we are confronted with problems, let’s focus on actions to resolve them or to reduce their impact. A mind focus on the positive aspects of life, learning and improving life is much more energizing than a mind focused on negativity.
Following your heart contribute to psychological growth and self-esteem. Being involved in what we enjoy doing or completing what we will be pleased to accomplish generates passionate satisfaction. The current trend in modern psychology is on the impact of positivity resulting in compassion, kindness, forgiveness, gratitude and personal growth.
Social Development (Care for others)
Service above self
Our relations with the people around us are very important to life satisfaction. When we are involved with family members, friends and different persons in our community, it gives us the occasion to experience the benefits of sharing. Service above Self is the motto of over 1.2 million Rotarians in more than 200 countries where they lead significant community projects to improve the living conditions. In addition to helping family and friends, volunteering in different activities allow us to meet new friends with similar interests and to contribute to better communities. Helping others provide self-satisfaction and contribute to happiness.
Spiritual Development (purpose in life)
“It is the spiritual freedom -which cannot be taken away- that makes life meaningful and purposeful” Viktor E. Frankl
Having a purpose in life clarifies our vision of what is important. For some people, their spirituality(purpose in life) is nourished through religion. Religious practices are rich in sharing humanistic values leading to a better life. The values of helping each other bring feelings of Calmness, Compassion, Generosity, Thankfulness and Happiness. What is most important for you? To help others, to be your best at what you do? To share your strengths, to follow your heart? To accentuate the positive in and around you? To be happy and to share happiness? To share passion and purpose? Becoming passionate about meaningful projects is an important pillar of happiness.
Just yesterday as I was about to activate this post, John P. Weiss had a masterpiece article entitled How to Have a Meaningful Life? You will see that Weiss insists on this crucial pillar of happiness: having a life of purpose and meaning.
Happy persons have a balanced lifestyle with growth in all four areas of development: physical, psychological, social and spiritual. Let’s be active in our body, our mind and our heart in sharing projects to make the world a better place to live.
