The goal in life is to be happy. But sometimes it is difficult to tell the difference between something that makes us feel good and something that makes us actually happy in both the short AND long term. Understanding that difference is an important part of making sure that you are on the path towards a life of satisfaction.
The Difference Between Pleasure and Happy
There are things that provide pleasure and instant gratification, but are not necessarily the cause of happiness. For example, watching TV all day is a great way to experience pleasure, but for most people that pleasure is very short lived. Once the TV goes off, the positive feelings are gone within a short time. Shopping is often another great example. If buying clothes bought long term happiness, you wouldn’t need to keep buying clothes.
For someone that is trying to find some long term happiness, it becomes important to seek out strategies that create real, long lasting results. In some cases, that means pushing ourselves to do things that perhaps do not provide any immediate happiness (or minimal happiness) but will provide long term happiness. Some of the more common examples include:
- Exercise
- Eating Healthy
- Saving Money
But even beyond that, something like pursuing an interest that simply takes work is a great way to experience complete, lifelong happiness. Those tasks do not have to be stressful either. Many people enjoy their goals and pursuits. But as long as they are on a path towards happiness, not just temporary and fleeting pleasure, they are far more likely to experience a change in the way they feel that lasts.
To find yourself on the right path towards happiness, contact Long Island psychologist Dr. Marc Shulman today, with offices in Garden City, Roslyn Heights, and Rockville Centre, NY.
