We believe a lot of erroneous things about happiness.  These happiness myths cost us a great deal in terms of enjoyment and fulfillment in life.  They send us off on wild goose chases seeking a better life in all the wrong places.

Fortunately, as with most myths, once they’ve been debunked, they lose their power over our lives.  Furthermore, once we are exposed to the truth, we can embrace new beliefs about happiness and experience all that we’ve been missing.

Five common happiness myths debunked!

I have compiled what I believe are five very common falsehoods we often believe about happiness.  I hope that by exposing these I can help you debunk the way these myths rob you of happiness in your day-to-day life.

By the way, I have bought into all of these at one time or another in my life so I know firsthand how they destroy our happiness.

Myth #1 – You are either happy or you’re not and that’s that.

Some believe that you are either born happy or you’re not and while it is true that as much as 50% of our happiness level is determined by our set point, research reveals that ample opportunity exists for us to affect our happiness through some effort.  It is important that we take personal responsibility for our own happiness and educate ourselves on ways to make ourselves happier.  Increasing happiness is possible and it’s not that hard.

Myth #2 – Happiness is a feeling that mysteriously comes and goes

Happiness can sway with our emotions, but again we have a significant level of influence in this process if we choose to exercise it.  Our happiness level really isn’t as mysterious as it may seem.  Scientists have compiled ample research to show that by engaging in intentional happiness activities, we can lastingly elevate our happiness level.

Myth #3 – Happiness should be effortless

Sustained happiness requires conscious effort.  Real happiness is not just a result of designing our lives with all the right circumstances either.  In fact, researchers have discovered that our circumstances, whether we are rich or poor, married or single, healthy or unhealthy, only determines a small portion of our happiness level.  Those that experience happiness without effort just have a higher genetic set point.  The rest of us need to exert effort to experience greater happiness.

Myth #4 – I’d be happy if I was rich and didn’t have to work

The way you perceive your life has a lot more to do with your happiness than your actual circumstances.  We all know or have heard of rich people that seem exceedingly unhappy (e.g. Paris Hilton, Britney Spears).  We also are aware of poor folks that seem incredibly happy (e.g. Mother Teresa).  Exercising gratitude for what you have instead of focusing on the negative side of your circumstances can greatly influence your sense of well-being.

Myth #5 – I’d be happy if all these people weren’t irritating me

It is easy to blame other people for our lack of happiness.  However, the truth is that most of our happiness lies in our attitude and reaction to what people do around us.  If you teach yourself to think differently about these situations, you will stop giving up the power to be happy.  Happiness is a choice that we make daily.

Expose the lies and set yourself free to be happy!

Living life to the fullest requires us to acknowledge many miss held beliefs.  We have to debunk the myths and find the truth to discover the freedom to be happy. 

Letting go of these myths isn’t always easy.  In some cases, we’ve been conditioned over many years by our families, society and the popular media to believe these are true.  It takes work to turn your thinking around, but I’m finding that it is definitely worth it.

I’ve been working hard lately to overcome these myths and it is paying off!  I hope you too are able to see these for the lies that they are and start to experience more happiness every day!

Which of these myths are you most prone to believing?

Photo by billaday