Happiness what’s the key ingredient?

Happiness what’s the key ingredient?

Last night - while researching  in our constant quest for happiness, we ended up watching the contenders for best American Superbowl 2014 adverts, (yes that's right that what family  TV has come to. . . .  (^-^) We nominated the two adverts that we found the funniest. (we included links at the bottom of this post)

After watching the brilliant Budweiser Beer advert which brought on a flood of tears (of happiness - warning contains puppies), and finally after (a ROFL period) following the Audi advert we switched to the TV News channels.

Bad Idea!
Within 30 seconds the room went silent (it wasn't even 20 past the hour!), everyone looked glum, it felt like all the life had been sucked out of the room. TV news is like a gateway door to depression - it's awful - it's amazing how they can suck happiness out of anything. One channel announced it's recent "TV news channel of the year award" - imagine that, receiving an award for the most depressing family room experience! TV News somehow distorts everything, leaving out any semblance of reality, truth and anything interesting, it's a constant tease which tricks the viewer (who is expecting truth and reality) - into a twisted visual depravity of anti-truth.

Is no News, good news?

I have to admit - I got sucked into the dreadful medium that is headline news. I started talking about how our English speaking financial and business media seem to have come up with a perfect (social and tech savvy) recipe for ensuring that viewers and readers, never get an opportunity to experience anything exciting.

The TV and newspaper front pages seem to have developed an 'executive summary' for everyday life, and if they are to be believed  the mantra du jour, is "don't be happy, why not worry - happiness is a delusional state"

If the news mongers ever do manage to create a spark of interest or (heaven help us) excitement - expert countermeasures are always in place.

"Countermeasures?"  you say . . . .

Take the UK, where the TV news channels are quickly able to wheel in a fringe 'victim', or worse still, since the 'birth' of the coalition,  licensed viewers are treated to the 'anti-happiness', usually a pernicious 'shadow' minister (live of course) to dispel anything that promises success or upliftment - over to South Africa, many an announcement is met by an outraged, hate fuelled, righteous counter rant that regularly borders on madness - across to the USA (and Canada for that matter), the notion of  'fair and balanced' news is perfectly structured, virtually military, as it assaults the viewers and listeners psyche with an authoritarian charade of righteousness and outrage. In the Americas the new 'outlets' present the poor viewer with experts, are all 'Certified' (snigger) Ph.D.s or those  who are 'morally pure', pillars of expertise, they expound (with 'certified' professional alacrity) on the  War on drugs, War on T+rr*r, War on banks, War on Marriage, War on Fun, War on Wars on Wars (middle east), War on success, War on Happiness . . .

"SAGE!, this is BORING, you are boring", my friend suddenly interrupted me, "Why don't we talk about what makes humanity happy", "OK, let's talk about something more exciting then", I said.

The great philosophical question then arose, "What IS the key ingredient to Happiness?"

  • Smile and the world smiles with you?  . . . OK Yes, fair point.
  • Think positive, (think happy thoughts)?  . . . Hmmmmmm, OK
  • Don't read newspapers or watch TV news programmes . . . . Ok, Ok - sorry 🙂

If being depressed, is about being chronically bored and disinterested in anything, then . . . . .  happiness must be about about being excited about everything you do, or are about to do.

After a short debate we agreed that the key ingredient has to be 'excitement'.  It's something we would all pursue if we wished to remain happy.

So, in our not so humble opinion, if you are not happy about the way things are, you are experiencing and doing the antithesis of happiness, boredom.

So, if you are unhappy at the moment, you may simply be bored to the point of excruciating discomfort.

TO BE HAPPY NOW

 

DO SOMETHING EXCITING!

DO SOMETHING OUTRAGEOUSLY EXCITING

GO AND EXCITE SOMEONE ELSE (it's even more exciting that way!)

Just don't do, be or appear boring!

So how do YOU do exciting? Tell me!

Some of you wanted to know - what were our funniest advert picks.

Puppy Love - Budweiser

Audi really, really breaking away from 'Vorsprung durch technik"

5 Replies on “Happiness what’s the key ingredient?

  1. Tim Ferris is of the same opinion, in his book the 4 hour work week.

    Love your attitude.

    I wish you plenty of excitement!
    RD