Why sadness is the key to true happiness

Suffering is a common thread that unites all of humanity. From recognizing this simple truth, a profound feeling of interconnectedness can arise. This sense of interconnection can bring about an unspeakable joy. It can ignite the wish to bring happiness to all others. Sadness introduces us to impermanence and can help us learn to let go. Change is the only constant in life. Through doing so, we will come to value every precious moment of this life and live in a far saner and more fulfilling way.

It shows us how sadness can redouble our determination to be of service to others. Acknowledging, expressing, and resolving grief leads to greater health and happiness. Repressed grief leads to contraction. Sadness can be the doorway to profound understanding. I feel empowered by sadness because it helps me see what really matters in life: kindness, love, and compassion. My name is Esra. I'm 24 years old, a senior at Applied Science University, majoring in English translation.

I'm addicted to music, playing basketball and my kitty cat Mia. Hope you like my posts : View all posts by eso You are commenting using your WordPress.

You are commenting using your Google account. You are commenting using your Twitter account. You are commenting using your Facebook account.

Notify me of new comments via email. Notify me of new posts via email. Skip to content The other night I felt overcome by sadness as I reflected upon all the suffering of this world. Is it more than just a stomach ache?

Could this be a good creative outlet for you? How to reduce your risk for two top health threats for women. Jen Frey. View All Articles 9. Get the mobile app With our new LiveWell with Advocate Aurora Health mobile app, you can manage health and wellness for yourself and for everyone who counts on you. Download the app. Find a Doctor. Recent Posts. Father of patient partners with hospital to improve services for deaf and hard of hearing individuals.

October 15, October 14, It argues that psychologists should not only investigate mental illness but also what makes life worth living. The founding father of positive psychology, Martin Seligman, describes happiness as experiencing frequent positive emotions, such as joy, excitement and contentment, combined with deeper feelings of meaning and purpose. It implies a positive mindset in the present and an optimistic outlook for the future. Importantly, happiness experts have argued that happiness is not a stable, unchangeable trait but something flexible that we can work on and ultimately strive towards.

I have been running happiness workshops for the last four years based on the evidence from the above field of psychology. Striving for a happy life is one thing, but striving to be happy all the time is unrealistic. Recent research indicates that psychological flexibility is the key to greater happiness and well-being. For example, being open to emotional experiences and the ability to tolerate periods of discomfort can allow us to move towards a richer, more meaningful existence.

Studies have demonstrated that the way we respond to the circumstances of our lives has more influence on our happiness than the events themselves. Philosophically speaking there are two paths to feeling happy, the hedonistic and the eudaimonic.