How to be Happy? This is surely the biggest question for humanity. Roko Belic (director) has traveled the world to find the universal secrets of happiness. And he unmasked 5 of them!
A Movie
The concept of the film "Happy" is very simple. Roko Belic unearths happy people in the world, and sees what they have in common. A Danish single mother, an Indian rickshaw driver, an Okinawa islander and many more say they are simply overjoyed. Yet they are different, but are all centered on deeply human values.
Geographical and social divides are shattered, giving way to what is fundamental in man, these common values that make you happy all who put them into practice.
Belic shows us in "Heureux" a happiness that goes through something other than money or social position. The goal is to find components of happiness accessible to all humans, everywhere. The director brings out 5 of his joyful journey.
The 5 Happiness Factors
1 - Sense of Friendship, and Community
Having people to rely on is fundamental to happiness. Feeling supported by a community can make life less stressful, less burdensome, because we know that not everything rests on our shoulders.
This certainty that people will be there to help us if things are not going well is particularly important. For example most Danes say they have someone they can rely on outside of the family. Knowing that the Danes are theoretically the happiest people in the world, with 7.6/10 on the IRB:relative index of happiness, it makes you think!
2 - The Concern to Give, to Help Others
Admittedly overused, the idea of happiness through generosity is more relevant than ever. Indeed, generous or compassionate actions make us secrete dopamine (pleasure hormone). Obviously, it is better that the approach is sincere. But it is true that those who give to others often have this feeling of fullness, of serenity.
They add meaning to their lives by caring for others, not just themselves. An American banker explains that he finds his happiness in volunteering, helping the poor. Just bringing water to a needy person gives him great joy.
3 - A Contact with Nature
Time spent outdoors often brings joy, and leads to healthy well-being. Today, spend time outdoors seems necessary for happiness. It's about creating a link with nature, something stronger than yourself, like a healthy bond. This allows you to acquire serenity and a perspective on the events of life.
The sun, the earth, the leaves, all of this seems to come back to more important things, bigger than people's selfishness and small problems.
4 - Have Leisure and Quiet Time
Workaholics are surely not the happiest in the world. The stress caused by the constant search for results and innovations leads to dangerous overwork. Free time spent in peace discharge of all accumulated pressures, so it is very important for mental balance.
On the island of Okinawa, people are quiet and simple, not seeking progress or performance at any cost. Less stressed and less rushed , most of the inhabitants live extremely old (highest number of centenarians in the world).
5 - Commitment to an Activity:Having a Passion
This point may seem contradictory with the previous one. But you have to differentiate between passion and work. A job is binding and a passion , if it is real and deep, it is not.
The very fact of practicing your passion makes you happy, and makes you forget all the problems of other areas. In Roko Belic's film, a surfer talks about his passion, and explains quite simply that he is happy because he can surf every day.
Obviously, you can't force yourself to find a passion if you don't have one. But if you have one, hang on to it, and take advantage of this chance.
Of course, to access this happiness, we need the subsistence minimum. That is, food, shelter, and proper health. But from there, these 5 elements seem to be the universal criteria that lead to happiness, like a path traced in our DNA to be happy.
Do you think these things can actually lead to happiness? I await your opinions and remarks in comments.
