240321-International Day of Happiness

Yesterday was the International Day of Happiness, and it's quite amazing. It's the first time I've heard of such a designation.

I've noticed that many of the books I've been reading lately also touch on the topic of happiness, and surprisingly, they share some similarities.

Here's a summary of what I've gathered:

1. Happiness is a skill.

2. Happiness is a choice.

3. Happiness is lowering expectations.

4. Happiness is avoiding pain rather than seeking pleasure.

People often say that happy families are all alike, while unhappy families each have their own unhappiness. I think the same goes for happy individuals.

I agree with what was mentioned earlier – happiness is a skill that can be learned.

So, how do we learn it? Happiness is a choice. We can choose how we perceive things. Reality is multifaceted, and how something affects us often depends on how we view it. There's a saying that goes: "Between stimulus and response, there is a space. In that space is our power to choose our response. That's where the beauty of self-awareness lies."

Similarly, lowering our expectations of external factors not only allows us to experience pleasant surprises more often but also frees us from excessive dependence on external circumstances. As the Buddha said, suffering arises from desire, anger, and ignorance.

Therefore, I believe that happiness is a skill that everyone can learn.

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昨天是世界幸福日，很神奇，第一次听说这个名称。

我发现最近看的书也有很多有关于幸福的话题，并且发现他们竟然都比较相似。

整理归纳起来有如下：

1. 幸福是一种技能

2. 幸福是一种选择

3. 幸福是降低期待

4. 幸福是避免了多少痛苦而不是享受了多少快乐

常听人说，幸福的家庭总是相似的，不幸的家庭各有各的不幸。我觉得幸福的个人也类似。

我觉得上面说的对，幸福是一种技能，它是可以习得的。

具体如何习得呢？幸福是一种选择，我们可以选择自己看待事物的方式，现实是多面的，很多时候一件事情如何影响我们，其实取决我我们如何看待它。有句话说的好：外界的刺激与你的反应中间有一个夹层，那便是自我意识最美妙的地方。

同样的，降低对外部的期待，不仅能经常收获意外之喜，更是摆脱对外部依赖的执着。佛曰，苦不过贪嗔痴。

所以我觉得，幸福是一种技能我们人人都可以习得。