According to a report from Oracle (CX) and Gretchen Rubin, as little as 45% of people have felt true happiness over the last two years.
Learning to enjoy the little things is just about as potent a strategy for making the most out of life as there is. In a world where we're constantly being coaxed into the belief that material goods will make us happy, enjoying simple pleasures is a sweet act of rebellion.
Turning to gratitude is a worthwhile prospect at any point in life, but learning to stop and smell the flowers in our senior years is especially important. Read on to find out more about the power of appreciation, and how being happy needn't be complicated!
We all want to be happy, but few of us take the time to give real thought to what that means. Our emotions are in a constant state of change, and it's these changes that give our emotions meaning. If we were happy all the time and never felt differently, we wouldn't think the state of happiness was anything worth writing home about, let alone pursuing during our senior years.
As it stands, the relentless pursuit of happiness is actually quite depressing, and it's leveraged against us at every turn. Our lack of perceived contentment fuels our society, without which the wheels of capitalism would surely grind to a halt. In a world where we're buffeted from every angle with bad news and unnecessary temptation, it's no wonder finding joy in aging is so hard.
To find any lasting contentment a change of perspective is all that's necessary. Fortunately for us, and for our seniors, this costs nothing. The truth is that gratitude is only ever a step away, and we needn't go into debt for a new car or trip to the Maldives to grasp it for ourselves.
Much of the trick to contentment comes from ignoring what we've been taught to believe. We often find ourselves living a backward life where we've agreed to the lie that a certain degree of success is necessary to be joyous. This idea of success is sold to us in many fictions but chiefly resides in the thought that we'd be happier with more.
This is a strange lie to be caught in, especially when we've all experienced finally receiving what we coveted, and been left confused in conclusion. What we believed would finally make us whole usually turns out to do nothing of the sort. Stranger still, rather than re-evaluating our strategy, we typically decide to try again with a different goal.
The definition of insanity is doing the same thing over and over again and expecting different results. However, things don't make us happy, no matter how rare or expensive they might be. In fact, somewhat ironically, the journey towards perceived success is usually much more enjoyable than the success itself.
They say the best things in life are free, and there's a lot of truth to the saying. There's a lot of joy to be had in stopping to smell the flowers, for example. However, stopping to smell them and enjoying the act requires a change of perspective that often eludes us, and in our society, it's no wonder.
We're taught, whether it be directly or indirectly, that if you don't have to buy a ticket, it's not worth the bother. If there isn't a queue, it can't be that good, as other people aren't clamoring for it. If it's not endorsed by a celebrity, why, how are we supposed to know if the experience is valuable at all?
This is a sorry state of affairs that can be neatly sidestepped by the power of gratitude and mindfulness. What's more, you don't have to spend thirty years in the ashram or sit under a waterfall for any length of time to experience the truth of the matter for yourself, either. The process is remarkably simple, and often overlooked due to its simplicity.
If you're dubious about our claims, try it for yourself, you might be surprised. The power of mindfulness has to be felt to be believed, and once you've felt it there's no going back. Practice is only necessary to remind ourselves to be present, rather than cultivating ability in the exercise.
It's as simple as putting yourself in the present moment rather than busying yourself with thoughts of the past or future. One of the most effective methods is to look at your hands and marvel at your control over them. Everyone has hands, and they cost us nothing, does that make them any less useful, or something to be any less grateful for?
There's an endless reserve of joy to be had in the simplicity of the present moment, and the things we have already. The trick is simply to remember them, rather than getting anxious over not owning the latest Range Rover.
In the end, we'd much rather take a slow, deep breath of fresh air over winning the lottery, if we could only have one or the other.
Our residents are taught the value of taking joy in simple pleasures at LakeHouse Sheboygan, but that doesn't mean we don't provide a variety of meaningful senior activities. We take great care in crafting individual care plans so the needs of each resident are met, simple or otherwise.
If you're looking for a pet-friendly assisted living community that supports a variety of hobbies and interests during your senior years, look no further. If you have any questions about our community or senior lifestyle tips, don't hesitate to reach out! Send us a message and we'll get back to you in short order.