Saturday, October 30, 2010
Happy
When i was on the way home after work, something struck me.
Someone truly trained in economics will see everything as a function of something, and everything can be quantified (either nominally or ordinally) using some instruments.
Happiness in life. What is it a function of?
It can boil down to many things. The major items: people relations, physical health, money, outlook for future, satisfication in what you do, challenges that you feel like taking on or unable/unwilling to take on etc.
I'm sure people are mostly aware that these things are required for the feeling of happiness.
However, the minor items that constitute to major items are usually things people aren't aware of.
People relations: It could come from family, your partner (or lack of one), friends, colleagues etc.
Physical health: Being generally healthy is not enough. Simple things like sufficient sleep everyday, proper hydration, proper meals/diet, exercise to keep your heart pumping once in a while etc is neccessary to make yourself feel physically good.
Money: Knowing generally that you 'do not have enough money' is not enough. You must know exactly which are the needs/wants that you want to fulfil yet have insufficient money, item by item. And after which, you must have a plan. Since resources are scarce, you either a) improve your incone stream or b) make the optimal trade-offs in the 'item list' you've done earlier. Really desperate to have that holiday in the near future? Stop spending all those money on unneccessary entertainment. Really unable to shake off the need to splurge every month? Stop complaining for the lack of money for a big ticket item like a holiday.
By planning you'll be able to know what to do: once you have a clear direction, thrift becomes more focused and objective-based, thus easier to execute, giving you more mental freedom.
Outlook of future: Perhaps this is something we can't control. However, one can always keep asking oneself: In the next 2, 5, and 10 years, what do I see myself as? And every bit of your short-term actions to work towards that long-term goal. If you want to excel, excel in your everyday actions. If you want to enjoy and live life comfortably, be relaxed and stop comparing to others. The most important thing is to have a goal and work towards it. Like a captain of a ship guided by a compass. He will know how to steer the wheel whenever he is off-course. Do not have a mentality of 'i'll see where this takes me'. Without a goal you'll not have any intent to your actions - much like the captain, but without a compass. He'll forever be battling the storms of the rough seas, going in different directions, not knowing where the port lies. Discouraging voyage that will be, isn't it?
And of course, there are the little things like the public transport system. Believe me, I observed myself to be very mentally shagged out whenever I encounter irritation on the bus or MRT. Simple things like aunties using bags to shove me around (hitting me around the rib cage area - very irritating), people opening their legs so wide and not realising that someone is sitting beside them, people who keep shuffling (do they have fleas in their underwear or what?) and elbowing your rib cage area as a result, or simply having to stand on the bus - makes me really irritated when I go to work.
This is what was happening to me when I intern-ed at MTI. Everyday, I had to really squeeze on the MRT to go to Cityhall. And by the time I reached workplace, I'm mentally so shagged that it really affected the way I viewed work. Luckily for me now, I have a seat on 506 (Express bus - expensive) everyday I go to work. As a result? I start the day much more happy and thus productive.
In conclusion, being 'happy' is more than just a general feeling. It takes discipline and action to tackle the little little specifics. And these little details will accumulate into major issues which would affect how we feel.
Try sleeping for more than 7 hours daily for a whole week.
Try having a 3-month savings plan to work towards.
Try having a healthier diet.
Try some slow jogging at least once a week.
Try drinking more water than what you usually do.
Try playing some music while you work.
Try talking to your boss on the difficulties you face.
Try sounding out your colleagues working in other industries to increase knowledge of your career choices.
Try buying lottery every week to give yourself some hope of financial freedom.
Try having a 'i wanna conquer this' mentality when matched with a challenge like how you used to when doing 'challenging sums' in primary school.
All these will seem small and insignificant. But when you do all these, you might feel yourself feeling way better than before.
You are the master of your life. It's YOUR life anyway. Go. Go make yourself happy.
lowtide blogged @
11:07 am
