A lot of talking these days about “pursuit of happiness”.
(I confess, we are also guilty of sometimes saying that :D)
Let’s have a peak into the meaning of the word pursuit (according to the dictionary):
1. the action of pursuing someone or something.”the cat crouched in the grass in pursuit of a bird”
– chasing, pursuing, stalking, tracking, trailing, shadowing, dogging, hounding; More: chase after, hunt for; informal tailing
“within France the gendarmerie remains responsible for law enforcement and the pursuit of criminals”
2.striving towards, push towards, aspiration for, quest after/for, search for; aim of, goal of, objective of, dream of
“the organization is devoted to the pursuit of profit”
– a cycling race in which competitors set off from different parts of a track and attempt to overtake one another.”the Olympic pursuit champion”
3. an activity of a specified kind, especially a recreational or sporting one.”a whole range of leisure pursuits”
– activity, leisure activity, leisure pursuit, leisure interest, hobby, pastime, diversion, avocation, recreation, relaxation, divertissement, sideline, entertainment, amusement, sport, game; More: occupation, trade, calling, vocation, craft, business, line, work, job, employment
“redirect your energies to a worthwhile pursuit”
Aaand the top of it all:
Phrases
give pursuit — (of a person, animal, or vehicle) start to chase another.
“three cavalry companies gave pursuit”
Whaaaat? Poor happiness 😀
Pursuit it, they say. Chase it. Hunt it down. Tail it, stalk it, track it, hound it, strive towards, no, even better, push towards!
Imagine if someone told you the same advice about love. Or about sleep. You would think they are crazy.
And we all know that the more you pursuit sleep, the less sleep you gonna get 😀
So let’s give the happiness the same benefit – the one of not pursuing it.
Instead… how about we explore it? Play with it? Flirt with it? Invite it in our life, welcome it in the moments when it shows up, appreciate it when it’s there, create space and conditions for it.
How about we ease into more gentle approach, we relax a bit, we enjoy this life journey of exploration, experiences and every step on the way – instead of just chasing the final goal of “being happy?”
And maybe, just maybe, at one moment we discover that happiness has been travelling with us for a while already – and even became part of us 🙂
How about you?
How are you exploring and creating space for happiness these days?
Do share in comments – but also to start a conversation in our Positive Psychology Tribe virtual community for meaningful conversations.
P.S. That is exactly how we like to approach befriending happiness at Happiness Academy in all our courses and workshops – if you are curious to learn more, check out Upcoming events page.
No Comments Found