by Pennie Sempell
As parents, is there anything we want more than that our children are happy and healthy? Leaving the health question aside for the moment, what is it that makes for a happy life? Is happiness a mysterious blend of temperament, free time and really cool toys? Or, are there ways to cultivate happiness?
After decades, going on centuries, of studying what is mental illness, psychologists began asking the question ‘What makes us happy?” A recently developed field of psychology is called “positive psychology”, and just as that title suggests, research in this field looks directly at the underpinnings of happiness and fulfillment in life.
Like a tapestry in the process of being woven, many studies looking at different facets of quality of life and the meaning of happiness have shed insight into what is actually a complex human experience. The good news is that it turns out there really are steps we can take, and teach our children to take, that increase our experience of happiness. Fun activities that help cultivate happiness are included in my soon-to-be-released dvd series “Healthier Happier Life Skills”.
When parenting my children, I remember feeling so wrapped up in all the juggling of work, errands, chores and other important-things-to-do, that it took a conscious intention to put on the brakes and make time and space in the busy week for exploring what might be “fun”. It takes work to play!
A key to happiness is initiation: We have to initiate to become involved in experiences and activities that increase our happiness. It turns out that experiences make you happier than material things. It’s the involvement, the connectedness, not the material thing, that brings about a feeling of happiness. Encouraging our children (and ourselves) to work at play is a good idea. And the beginning of that work is to take initiative, to get off the coach and involved in doing something new and challenging.
Working with physicians and psychologists at a major medical center, former teacher and mediator, Pennie Sempell, JD, ACMT specializes in integrative healing arts and mind-body therapies. She has written, performed and produced award-winning programs for children with a focus on health literacy. www.HealthierHappierLife.com.
As parents, is there anything we want more than that our children are happy and healthy? Leaving the health question aside for the moment, what is it that makes for a happy life? Is happiness a mysterious blend of temperament, free time and really cool toys? Or, are there ways to cultivate happiness?
After decades, going on centuries, of studying what is mental illness, psychologists began asking the question ‘What makes us happy?” A recently developed field of psychology is called “positive psychology”, and just as that title suggests, research in this field looks directly at the underpinnings of happiness and fulfillment in life.
Like a tapestry in the process of being woven, many studies looking at different facets of quality of life and the meaning of happiness have shed insight into what is actually a complex human experience. The good news is that it turns out there really are steps we can take, and teach our children to take, that increase our experience of happiness. Fun activities that help cultivate happiness are included in my soon-to-be-released dvd series “Healthier Happier Life Skills”.
When parenting my children, I remember feeling so wrapped up in all the juggling of work, errands, chores and other important-things-to-do, that it took a conscious intention to put on the brakes and make time and space in the busy week for exploring what might be “fun”. It takes work to play!
A key to happiness is initiation: We have to initiate to become involved in experiences and activities that increase our happiness. It turns out that experiences make you happier than material things. It’s the involvement, the connectedness, not the material thing, that brings about a feeling of happiness. Encouraging our children (and ourselves) to work at play is a good idea. And the beginning of that work is to take initiative, to get off the coach and involved in doing something new and challenging.
Working with physicians and psychologists at a major medical center, former teacher and mediator, Pennie Sempell, JD, ACMT specializes in integrative healing arts and mind-body therapies. She has written, performed and produced award-winning programs for children with a focus on health literacy. www.HealthierHappierLife.com.
