“When heaven is about to confer a great responsibility on any man, it will exercise his mind with suffering…”
— Meng Tzu, The Book of Mencius, China, 3rd century BCE
One of my favorite “Good Life” contemporary philosophers, Jonathan Haidt, got me thinking some years ago about the value of adversity and the problem of overvaluing what I will call “haha happiness.”
Haha happiness seeking is about wanting to be intensely and continuously on an emotional high.
Happiness is a great resource, but overvaluing this haha sort of happiness can cause us to flee from tough stuff, which lessens our chance of becoming resilient and resourceful.
Resilience — the ways that people cope with bad things that happen to them and bounce back — has been a hot topic for many years.
But only lately have researchers begun to focus on the benefits of stress. These benefits are often called post-traumatic growth (in contrast to post-traumatic stress disorder).
One benefit is that we can find or develop new skills and abilities. Haidt says that one of the most common lessons people draw from trauma is that they are much stronger than they realized which gives them confidence to face future stress.
Another benefit has to do with relationships. Trouble can cause some friends to melt away, but those that stay often develop into stronger, more authentic friendships.
A third benefit is that big trouble often re-arranges priorities and carries a useful lesson. Often the lesson goes something like this… caring about people matters more than caring about money and achievement.
Continue reading your story on the app
Continue reading your story in the magazine
Nita Paine
‘I love that we provide an outlet to people to express themselves, to find out who they are’
Looking at life from a different angle now
Bout with cancer, plus pandemic made couple wonder: Why wait to really live?
Keeping family ties strong
Twelve months of COVID makes for a long year away from kids and grandkids
Saved family letters tell of war horrors, peacetime hopes and dreams
Loving letters from long ago
It's a kick to be a zebra — or a canary
When making the call is your calling
Clean shots
For real estate photographer, the art is in the uncluttered details
Varied Thrush: Making a bold statement
Globally, the thrush family contains 169 viable species; three other thrush species are now extinct.
Visiting the glory years of our parents
Obituaries – They’re really NOT for the dead
Going deep with Dan Feil
Warm crystal clear water, incredible fish, spectacular scenery, why not jump off a boat in the tropics?
Bringing a glow to the night
Who says outside lights are just for Christmas time? Drivers on Maple Street in Wenatchee will now see lights year-round.
Rules for Being the Age You Are
Whether you’re 20 or 120, the author’s surprise-filled guide can help most anyone live happily ever
Take A Shortcut To Happiness
Feel better in a matter of minutes with these all-natural, get-happy quick tricks with guaranteed results
9 Tricks To Improve Your Life
9 tricks to improve your life*
Creating Your Life
As a Therapist, Educator and Positive Living Expert, Diane has dedicated her career to helping people turn their lives around and is now on a mission to help them develop a sustainable positive attitude that can actually turn one into an optimist, literally.
Follow The Path Of Gratitude
"In ordinary life, we hardly realize that we receive a great deal more than we give, and that it is only with gratitude that life becomes rich."_Dietrich Bonhoeffer
The Joy Of Letters
I wish that joy could fill every moment of Jessie’s life, but children, like their parents, must overcome diffiulties. Two major challenges Jessie has faced in her young life come to mind.
Be Your Best Yet! Start Fresh In 2020
Your “someday” is here. It’s time to make your vision of a happier, healthier future a reality.
*This* Is How To Figure Out - The Real You
We all love new beginnings, but a head-to-toe transformation starting jan. 1 won’t help you discover who you really are. Forget the quest for an all-new you—this year is all about the *true* you. Starting now...
Create Your Own Sunshine
What if the storms of life are actually invitations to experience a higher and more consistent level of peace, joy, and freedom than you have ever tasted before?
12 Steps To Health & Happiness, Part 1
At a young age, I got sick, and I don’t mean slightly ill—I was literally facing death. As I desperately clung to life, I set a goal for myself that I have never turned back on: to find health and live my best life.