Hygge got me hooked on to Meik Wiking and the whole Danish philosophy of happiness. This book – The Little Book of LYKKE, the Danish search for the World’s happiest people – was a perfect Segway into the world of Lykke ( pronounced : “Luuh Kah”).
Happiness > most things in life
I keep coming back to this book from time to time. Everytime I do, I keep wondering: Why do I love this book so much? Perhaps, I am at a stage in life where peace and happiness are a topmost priority for me. Any thing that helps me improve my happiness quotient is something that piques my interest immediately.
The author Meik Wiking is the CEO of the Happiness Research Institute based in Copenhagen Denmark and he and his colleagues spend their days discovering happiness secrets. (I secretly envy their jobs) This book talks about 6 aspects of life that are connected to our happiness. What I really like about his book apart from the fact that is a visual delight (on the same lines as the Little Book of Hygge) is a recurring summary section called “Happiness Tips” spread across the book. I keep revisiting the book on a frequent basis just to read some of the tips.
Can you truly escape the Hedonic Treadmill?
Its tough to do so. The next best thing is to expect it. Here is an interesting extract from the chapter on Money
Happiness Tip: Expect the hedonic treadmill
“Take time to enjoy the journey towards your goal while also being mindful that achieving your goal will not fulfil you completely.
Expect and understand that reaching our goal might make you happy – but only for a while. We continuously raise the bar for what we want or feel we need in order to be happy. Getting your book published will make you happy for a while and then you adjust your ambition to hitting the Sunday Times bestseller list, becoming a global phenomenon. I speak from personal experience.
I think we are yet to find the one thing that will permanently quench our thirst when it comes to ambition. So perhaps we need to consider how to turn the idea of the pursuit of happiness into the happiness of the pursuit. (emphasis added by me)People on a quest for something they find meaningful- whether that is building a boat or growing a tomato – tend to be happier; they know that happiness is the by-product of the process and not a pot of gold at the finish line.
This one line encapsulates the spirit of the book for me. Turning the pursuit of happiness into the happiness of the pursuit is such a liberating idea.
Expectation makes the heart grow fonder
I’m sure a lot of us have an experience of planning a trip. Have you ever wondered that the whole planning for the trip and anticipation of the vacation brings you as much joy if not more than the actual trip. Turns out it’s a genuine thing. Once again it’s such a simple idea to integrate into your day to day life.
Here’s another extract
Happiness Tip: Pay Now Consume Later
If you buy an experience make sure that it is well into the future, so you can look forward to it.
Six months from now, what would you like to do? See a certain band with your friends? Invite someone who you feel a lot of gratitude towards to a nice restaurant? Buy the tickets or the gift certificate now. Or go long. Ten years from now, what would be your dream experience? Start putting money aside in a separate happiness account.
This book is filled with such nuggets and I genuinely believe it will be a worthy addition to your library. It’s a simple book but has a host of profound reminders about the little things that you can do to enhance your happiness.
Go ahead. Get the book and add a dollop of happiness to your life!
