What is the importance of being happy?

If good food replenishes your body, happiness rejuvenates the mind. It restores your internal balance and equips you with the grit and energy to face another day. Happiness impacts every facet of a person’s life. Happier people are generally more successful, more productive and more balanced. They are healthier and stronger – physically as well as emotionally. A happy person lives longer, collects more friends and has greater chances of forging successful relationships with those around them.

Can happiness be controlled?

As mentioned before, happiness is the net result of a number of factors. Several factors like genetics and circumstances contribute to approximately 60% of your happiness. These factors cannot be controlled. However, the remaining 40% is within your control. Your thoughts, actions and goals, for instance, are your own. You can choose to interpret an experience as enriching, if you wish to do so. This in turn increases your happiness. The same incident becomes a continual source of pain when you choose to view it negatively. Many areas of your life are highly subjective like how you choose to interpret your past, how you choose to live your present and whether you feel you are doing enough to ensure a happy future. These factors contribute to your happiness, and they can be controlled.

As you can see, even though a degree of your happiness is beyond your control, a good part of it can be controlled. Fortunately, you can turn around your life by focusing on this part. By taking active control of this, you can lead a more enriched, successful and satisfying life.