The Truth And Science Of Happiness

Explore the intricate science of happiness and discover what truly makes us happy.

Take a deep dive into the Harvard study: The Longest Happiness Study, a decades-spanning research endeavor that unveils the secrets to a fulfilled life.

Discuss the "dark side" of happiness, and gain insights into the delicate balance.

Reflect on the wisdom that happiness is not a constant state, but a dynamic interplay of emotions and experiences.

Join me, as we journey together to uncover the intricate interplay of happiness, relationships, and acceptance. We'll explore the ancient teachings of contentment and the path to living in the "right relationship" with ourselves and the world around us.

Transcript

The ultimate gateway to ignite your spiritual journey and unlock a life of harmony,

Purpose,

And conscious living.

My name is Amanda Machado.

I'm your guide in this quest for self-discovery.

As an epidemiologist and devoted teacher of consciousness,

I take my inspiration from spirit,

Science,

And nature and make conscious living practical for your everyday life.

In this sanctuary of knowledge,

We will blend the robust foundation of scientific truth with wisdom woven by diverse communities,

Disciplines,

And niches across the globe.

We're not just connecting the dots here.

We're simplifying the intricate patterns of our world in order to fuel your transformation like never before.

Before we embark,

A quick note.

While I'm deeply passionate about well-being,

I'm not a medical expert.

If you're facing psychological or medical challenges,

It's essential to seek the guidance of a qualified professional.

Your health and happiness matter.

So to all you seekers,

Dreamers,

And curious souls yearning for growth,

This podcast is your catalyst.

All starts and ends with the spirit.

Your spirit holds the key.

And today,

We unlock its infinite potential together.

Today,

We're delving deep into the science of happiness and the wisdom from the longest happiness study.

As we speak,

I'm still processing a soul trip that we had been planning for a couple years that we just got back from,

Portugal and Spain.

And the happiness derived from this trip feels more like an outward experience that sort of works its way inward.

So yes,

Our outer world can definitely contribute to our inner happiness.

But today,

We're also going to be talking about how to cultivate present moment happiness and the factors that are linked to happiness,

Some that are super ancient and have been passed down for ages,

And others that modern science is revealing more about each and every day.

So let's explore this topic together,

Me and you.

I invite you to get cozy as we move through this together.

Let's start by diving into the science of happiness.

Okay,

So what is it that truly makes us happy?

And how can we enhance our well-being?

This is where positive psychology and the scientific study of happiness can help us to attain a better understanding at what can feel like somewhat of an elusive emotion at times and an emotion that we actually tend to crave.

The field of positive psychology has explored various factors that contribute to happiness and life satisfaction.

When we put this data together from hundreds of scientific studies,

Contextual data,

And experiential information from communities across the globe,

The big emphasis that we see is the importance of positive relationships,

Cultivating gratitude,

And mindfulness in your day,

And also the pursuit of meaningful goals in your life.

The science and study of happiness also reminds us that genetics,

As well as circumstances,

So what we experience day to day,

Aren't the sole determinants of happiness,

And that we have the power to cultivate it from the inside out,

And also to allow it into our experience.

So kind of cultivating it from the outside in.

This is good news because this actually gives us this feeling and sense of power in our life rather than this feeling of complete powerlessness over our circumstances or genetics,

For example.

There's also some evidence to show that through epigenetics,

We may further understand the intricate interplay between our genes and our pursuit of happiness.

Epigenetic research suggests that lifestyle choices like social connections,

Sleep,

Early childhood,

Environmental exposures,

Amongst others,

Like movement and diet,

Can influence gene expression patterns within us that are associated with our well-being.

So even at the genetic level,

We can actually make choices that positively impact our happiness and overall well-being at the end of the day,

Which actually shows you how important your choices are and the power that they have to change your internal experience.

We've all had our own personal journey and unique journey with cultivating and experience happiness in our own lives.

And even though our journeys may be unique,

I like to say unique not special because I think that it's like a fingerprint.

We all have a fingerprint and each of our fingerprints are unique.

But the second we start thinking that we're overly special or my fingerprint is more special than your fingerprint,

Then I actually think that we end up creating a lot of drama and chaos and this actually doesn't lead to fulfillment.

And so overall,

It feels like there's this thread that ties all of us together in this journey at the same time while it's also unique and personal to each and every one of us.

Our spiritual wellness plays such a big role in our lives because it is that soul connection that brings that feeling of fullness.

In my own journey,

I have started to unpack and I guess you could say discover what truly brings joy to my life and I can share that I often think or what I often think is going to bring me more joy sometimes actually just ends up causing me more suffering.

I can't really put my finger on it.

I can't say it's just one thing.

Personal happiness has this simplicity to it and also this complexity.

I don't believe it's simply external factors that cause happiness and at the same time,

Other factors are linked even when they aren't the root cause because we are in relationship with everything we interact with day to day.

Whether that's our partners,

Our kids,

Our work,

Our relationship to food,

Our relationship to success,

To failure,

Our relationship to our bodies and the list goes on.

All of which may not be the cause but perhaps act as a factor within the web of life that is a catalyst in the process much like the intricate signaling pathways that orchestrate cellular responses within the human body.

Sometimes our happiness can be sparked by the things,

The events,

The people,

The moments that we least expect.

I used to search for happiness in career growth.

As you know,

I completed my master's of public health as an epidemiologist and for much of my life I actually thought that this degree or this job was what was going to make me happy and no matter what I accomplished in my career,

I actually found it to be fleeting,

To be an endless chase,

To have this hollow feeling to it.

Don't get me wrong,

I find joy in my career because it allows me to pursue what I perceive as meaningful goals but what I came to realize is that what we manifest in the world,

Like our careers,

They all have this impermanence.

They all have this feeling of fleeting at times because they are.

Even the emotion of happiness cannot be sustained without disharmony or imbalance.

I feel what I've learned is that everything in life is subject to this underlying current or law of life.

Even when I think about my family and this soul trip that we took,

The same is true.

While it was one of the best trips of our lifetime,

The feeling can't be sustained over the course of the entire trip.

It could not be sustained over the course of the entire trip without being equalized or experiencing some hiccups or hardships along the way.

It doesn't make the trip wrong or bad,

It makes the trip human and part of the reality of life.

And while we may not be able to be in a constant state of happiness,

We can still find a deep,

Deep fulfillment in our lives day to day.

In my life,

I have found that one of the things that brings true fulfillment is deep,

True,

And authentic human connection.

I actually feel when I'm most sad,

It's usually because I feel disconnected in some way or I feel that the connection that I've had in the relationship,

Whether that be with my work or with somebody else or my relationship to food or other,

It's just,

It's inauthentic in some way.

Thinking about the authenticity of the human connection,

Especially when it comes to relationships,

I feel like relationships with other people,

This feels unique to anything else because it's like I'm in this life and in this life I'm having an experience and there's someone else here with me and with this other human who's having having an experience,

We get to connect here in this time and space.

It's like going on a trip far from home and running into someone you know.

It's exciting,

It's like you're here,

I'm here,

We're both in this experience together and we get to experience this life together,

Whatever may come,

Even in the moments where we don't feel fully happy and that's where the authentic human connection comes in and ties into happiness and this feeling of fulfillment,

Being able to experience life experience with another human being that feels authentic,

I think really ties into what creates fulfillment for us as human beings.

I don't even know if this is something that can be truly known on a very deep intellectual level because it feels more like something that can only be felt,

Something that can only be experienced in its full significance.

It's that real-time connection that we crave so deeply that connects us to contentment,

To purpose,

Fulfillment,

Which when thought of leads to that feeling of happiness that has more of a temporality to it or an impermanence.

So maybe it's really that contentment and the purpose and fulfillment that those temporary feelings of happiness bring us that sort of tie moments together that we crave.

While science cannot fully measure the phenomena of what it means to be fulfilled in its entirety,

Just like we can't fully know it intellectually,

There have been some key studies done.

One example is this study called the Longest Happiness Study.

The Longest Happiness Study reveals some really interesting findings about fulfillment.

So basically within this Harvard study of adult development,

Which began in the 1930s,

They tracked people from various backgrounds collecting data on their lives,

Their health,

And their happiness.

The key finding of this study is actually pretty profound.

Basically,

It found that good relationships are at the core of a happy life.

No matter your circumstances or your achievements,

Positive connections with family,

Friends,

And community play a vital role in our well-being.

This insight sort of serves as that reminder that nurturing our relationships is a practical path to happiness,

Although I think there are many.

When I think about my recent trip and my recent experiences,

If I had a moment where I didn't feel full or I felt upset or sad or moments I reflect on a possible disconnect I may have felt in a moment with someone or with life or the experience itself that I was having,

Expectation remains isolated from reality.

It almost feels that that this is kind of what creates separation and unhappiness which speaks not only to relationships with others but also the relationship that we have within ourselves because when we have a certain expectation within and our reality doesn't match because our reality is a bit more complex than that because we have other people in it,

Our relationship to other things,

And you know things that are external to us that we also are interacting with.

So when I think about this journey or pursuit of happiness I think we often overlook the importance of our relationship with our own selves.

In the world of yoga and mindfulness we actually talk about coming into what is known as right relationship with all aspects of life and this also includes our inner world and our and our inner world is actually the focus.

This focus on inner balance and well-being is essential because happiness is generally considered a source of good outcomes as highlighted by research.

It facilitates the pursuit of important goals and contributes to vital social bonds,

Broadens people's scope of attention,

And increases well-being and psychological health.

Our inner relationship with ourselves also you know potentially poses the question is happiness always a good thing?

Because we know from our relationship with our inner world that we're not always happy and when we're always trying to pursue happiness you know or attain it in every moment we know that there's also this feeling of disconnect that could follow.

A published review suggests that the pursuit of happiness and experiencing happiness might sometimes actually lead to negative outcomes.

So within the study it actually delved into four key questions regarding sort of this proposed dark side of happiness.

The questions basically were is there a wrong degree of happiness?

Is there a wrong time for happiness?

Are there wrong ways to pursue happiness?

And are there wrong types of happiness?

And so these lines of research or inquiry basically suggest that happiness is often highly sought out and if we tend to pursue it to no end it may not always be beneficial at every level in every context and for every reason and also in every variety.

And perhaps this concept of happiness is something we have to come into right relationship with.

And I say right relationship because a lot of actually our understanding of one another and one of the most common things in Buddhism actually that they say is that all beings want happiness and so how can we cultivate compassion for one another just knowing that we all desire happiness.

However if we were to all come into right relationship with this concept of happiness we probably wouldn't be hurting each other on the level where all of that compassion is actually needed in terms of understanding one another.

If we were all in right relationship with happiness we wouldn't be hurting each other in the same ways that we hurt each other today.

And it's not meant to be a thing that's like we all have to be perfectly in right relationship with happiness.

I actually think it's more of a journey that we're all on but I think it comes down to this idea of calling more fulfillment into our life by being content with what comes in life and allowing ourselves to experience the role of happiness in our lives but also having this feeling of contentness and being okay in moments where we don't feel that surge of the happiness emotion.

So there's this saying and the saying is happiness is not having what you want but wanting what you have.

And this is wisdom that was shared in 1954 and has been circulating ever since and it still holds this profound key to understanding our own happiness.

When I think of the recent trip that I was on it feels like I expected to have the same feeling the whole time.

This everlasting happiness and to be honest that would have been a mistake.

I feel happy when I think of my trip because I'm content with the ebbs and the flows of the trip but I also feel that if I expected myself to be in this constant state of happiness never being tired or frustrated you know maybe with the length of the plane ride or we were traveling with the toddlers so there was definitely some challenging moments there I feel like I probably wouldn't appreciate my trip as much.

I'm happy because I want what I already know that I have and when I think of parts of the trip that I expected different results I do feel unhappy because I feel that I don't want what I what I have.

So we all go through this and the peace lies in the contentment and the contentment is I'm okay with the ebbs and flows.

I'm okay with the ebbs and flows of the trip and for me that contentment brings happiness and authenticity as well.

So social media sometimes may depict you know people living lives of rainbows and butterflies but it's not necessarily the authentic truth and I think the key question is can we find happiness even looking back on the darker times?

This contentment in a moment for just allowing it to be what it what it is or what it was rather than feeling like we want it to be something else and if that feeling remains can we work to cultivate it in the present moment in a balanced way so that we feel fulfilled by life and not only feeling this endless desire and this endless chase for things to be different.

So coming back a little bit to the science in two groundbreaking studies researchers delved into the very essence of this concept.

They asked participants a very simple but profound question.

They asked what do you have and to what extent do you want what you have.

This investigation allowed them to actually quantify how much people truly wanted what they already possessed but it didn't actually stop there.

They also explored the other side of the equation which was how much do people have what they want.

So the results were pretty enlightening to say the least.

The findings revealed something pretty extraordinary.

Both the extent to which people wanted what they had and the extent to which they had what they wanted played very unique roles in determining their happiness.

It turns out that happiness is a delicate balance between between wanting what you have and having what you want.

These two aspects interweave to shape our overall sense of well-being and points to the ancient teaching of contentment and this is actually a rule for living or a niyama within the eightfold path and yogic philosophy.

What's even more fascinating is that the study demonstrated how gratitude,

That profound appreciation for what we possess in the present moment,

Is a pivotal factor in the equation.

So gratitude can partially mediate the effects of wanting what you have in terms of your happiness which means that when you genuinely appreciate and feel thankful for the things you already possess you can enhance your overall sense of well-being.

So gratitude kind of acts as this bridge connecting your current present blessings to your personal happiness allowing you to find contentment in the present moment.

It's also a reminder that happiness often lies not in wanting more but in cherishing and acknowledging the value of the moment you're in in the present time and acknowledging what you already have.

So you can cultivate gratitude in your life and you're actually contributing to your own personal happiness making it a powerful and accessible tool for enhancing your quality of life.

So let's explore gratitude a little bit more and its impact on happiness.

Let's together reflect on what we have in our own lives.

So what do you have in your life?

What are the things you have and the things that you truly want and how do they contribute to your happiness?

How does gratitude play a role in your journey towards living a more fulfilling life?

These are some key questions to really ask yourself and as I mentioned I used to try to cultivate happiness through external factors like my career among many others because I was not in what we would call right relationship with life.

In ancient traditions like yoga we learn more about what it means to come into right relationship with all aspects of our life.

Right relationship goes beyond just self-acceptance.

It means aligning our thoughts our actions and intentions with our true nature and not only ourselves as what we perceive as separate but ourselves as part of this greater whole this greater universe.

It's about finding harmony within and with the external world around us acknowledging that we are all interconnected with all living beings and also with the natural the natural world.

This means we don't always feel happy all the time but we are content with what is and in a real and true experience we find grace and fulfillment and perhaps even feel the emotion of happiness at times but we're also okay if we don't feel it constantly.

We aren't addicted to it we don't chase it we enjoy the ebbs and flows the ups and downs because that's actually what makes life exciting.

So what does it actually mean to master what we're calling as right relationship?

Yoga and I'm not only talking about asana or what is known as stretching I'm talking about the roots of yoga.

Yoga philosophy yogic and conscious living.

Yoga teaches us to cultivate self-awareness practice self-compassion and seek balance in our lives.

Yoga actually means union coming into union with life and really encourages us to let go of our judgments attachments and ego-driven desires that can really cloud our perception of reality which may also include the desire to always feel happy when the truth is that we're actually meant to experience this array of emotions and experiences to allow for this human experience to be fulfilling for us.

In essence right relationship is a state of living in alignment with the principles of love compassion and mindfulness.

It's a path to deeper inner peace and happiness as well as deeper connection to the world around us with a deeper understanding that the path itself is the peace and there's nothing that we need to actually chase.

So I invite you to join me in really delving deeper into this quest that we all have for happiness with this remembrance that it's actually the nurturing of our relationships with ourselves that is the most integral part of the journey.

So one of the reasons why I'm sharing about yoga is because the ancient practice of yoga and yoga sciences such as Ayurveda is one of the greatest factors that actually helped me to mend my own relationship with myself and actually even cultivate a relationship with myself and so before yoga and the practice of yoga and really understanding a lot of the yogic philosophy and embodying this beyond sort of the westernized view of yoga allowed me to really cultivate a relationship with myself build a relationship with myself.

So I don't mean the yoga that maybe focuses on you know some of the more commercialized side of yoga like yoga pants and expensive yoga mats or trying to get into a particular pose as a goal.

I'm talking about a deeper journey that I had with yoga so really learning its roots where I was able to touch the depth of unity with my my truest nature and really understand myself a little bit more.

Before I went on this journey I would say that I did not have a relationship with myself.

Actually I had a really poor relationship with myself so it wasn't very nice to myself.

I didn't like spending any time alone.

I didn't value my time alone and now I feel completely different.

I actually I actually value my time alone more than I ever have in my life and I enjoy my own company and before my journey I don't think I could have said that.

So it was all about sort of learning what was beneath all of the seeking that I was doing what was beneath all the worldly desire that I had and more so shifting to this truthfulness with life and the desire to experience life more for all of its beauty including the hardships and really experiencing both happiness and sadness on that continuum.

Experiencing love and grief and both silence and expression and allowing myself to shift between the continuum of those emotions and enjoy maybe not enjoy because I don't want to use the word enjoy because I feel like it's not always joyful.

It doesn't I don't always enjoy the feeling of grief or sadness but I can feel this fulfillment in it because and this contentment in being able to feel the continuum of those emotions in my human experience and that's kind of where that journey really took me.

And so I think as we conclude our exploration of the science of happiness and the wisdom from the longest happiness study what I invite you to remember is that happiness is not an external achievement.

It's a state of being that begins with the relationship you have with yourself and it's a state of being that we shift between to allow for a fullness of experience because a constant state of happiness is not actually the goal.

We would not know happiness without other emotions and experiences and so maybe deep down what we actually want is contentment.

And so I hope that you have found inspiration in this talk about the science of happiness,

The insights from the ancient wisdom as I have throughout my life,

The various studies,

And also my own personal stories that I shared here.

And until next time I hope that your life is filled with not only happiness but contentment,

Fulfillment,

And of course a deeper connection with life and yourself.

Wishing you the most beautiful,

Beautiful day.