What creates happiness? The pursuit of it is promised to us as an inalienable right. I like the word pursuit because it puts responsibility on us to attain it. The right may be there, but we have to pursue it and create it for ourselves. Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi, author of “Finding Flow,” maintains that people are happiest when they are challenging themselves with tasks that require skill and commitment. He maintains that it is the act of being actively engaged that gives people the greatest pleasure. I find that this is true for me. Studies have repeatedly shown that money does not bring happiness, though it makes life easier.
How does this tie in with emotional fitness? People who are emotionally fit like who they are and create opportunities for themselves that challenge them. By continuing to grow one’s emotional fitness, the ability to deal with what life brings is greatly increased. Happiness is not a constant state, but living a life of engagement is a good guarantee for having a lot of it.
