This presentation outlines my personal understanding of what happiness is, based on 4 years of learning about it, and finding my own path in the world.

1. Happiness&Well-Being
(37slides)
WimVanhooff

2. OnHappiness
First we’ll see three definitions:
● Buddhism
● Hedonic vs eudaimonic well-being
● Positive psychology
Then I’ll present my own approach

3. Buddhism
(3slides)

4. TheFourNobleTruths oftheBuddha
Buddhism is a life philosophy having “Four Noble Truths”:
1. Life is Dukkha (=suffering)
2. Dukkha arises from craving and aversion
3. Dukkha can be eliminated
4. … by following the Eightfold Path.
Thus, happiness is the absence of suffering

5. OnSuffering
The causes of suffering:
● Attainment of pleasure (craving)
● Avoidance of pain (aversion)
Suffering = pain x resistance
The reason: everything is impermanent

6. TheCure
The cure: the Eightfold Path, divided in three categories:
● Wisdom
● Ethical conduct
● Mental cultivation
The goal: by following the Path, your Karma will improve,
ultimately resulting in Enlightenment and breaking free from
the cycle of Samsara (birth, life, death)

7. Hedonicvs.
EudaimonicWell-
Being
(4slides)

8. AccordingtoAncientGreece
The Greek philosophers distinguish two types of well-being:
● Hedonic: attainment of pleasure and avoidance of pain
● Eudaimonic: focus on meaning and self-realization

9. HedonicWell-being
● Maximize net pleasure = pleasure minus pain
● Satisfaction with various domains of life.

10. EudaimonicWell-being
● Sense of control or autonomy
● Feeling of meaning and purpose
● Personal expressiveness
● Feelings of belongingness
● Social contribution
● Competence
● Personal growth
● Self-acceptance.

11. EudaimonicWell-being
Two pathways:
● Personal development: try to be the best “you” while
accepting you aren’t perfect
● Transcendence: transcending the personal for the sake of
something larger than oneself, without losing oneself,
leading to some external utility of one's life
○ children
○ meaningful work
○ wider community
○ spirituality
○ ...

12. Positive
Psychology
(4slides)

13. PositivePsychology
Positive psychology describes three overlapping areas:
● The pleasant life: pursue positive feelings
● The good/engaged life: use your strengths to obtain
gratification
● The meaningful life: use your strengths in the service of
something much larger.

14. ThePleasantLife
● Pursue positive feelings about the past, present, future
● Maximise positive feelings and minimise negative feelings
● Similar to hedonic well-being.

15. TheGood/EngagedLife
● Use your strengths & virtues to obtain gratification in
the main realms of your life
● Be actively involved in life and all that it demands
● Apply your best during challenging activities that result
in growth and a feeling of competence and satisfaction
● Barometer = state of “flow”: the process of being
immersed and absorbed in the task at hand.

16. TheMeaningfulLife
● Meaning is the process of having a higher purpose in life
than one’s self
● Like the good life, apply your strengths & virtues in
activities, but the difference is that these activities
are perceived to contribute to the greater good.

17. MyOwnApproach
(11slides)

18. MyOwnApproach
These five pillars...
● Essence of Buddhism
● Self-care & self-acceptance
● Increasing awareness
● Living passionately
● Finding meaning in life
... result in nine practical elements of a happy life that
you need to turn into habits

19. Element1:Practice Self-Care
● Exercise regularly
● Eat healthy and balanced
● Rest when tired
● Sleep well
● In short: listen to your body.
Your reward: a sense of inner gratitude

20. Element2:Liveinthe HereandNow
● Be aware of where your thoughts are (past/present/future)
● Feel the sensations in your body
● Use your senses as gateway to the here and now
● Pay attention to your emotions in the moment
● Don’t sidestep difficult emotions
● Stop the chatter in your mind on a regular basis
● Slow down.

21. Element3:KnowandAcceptYourself
● Learn about your specific needs
● Find your core values
● Understand and accept your personal history
● Identify internalized beliefs
● Know when you’ve entered “victim mode”
● Really believe you are enough.

22. Element4:BeAuthentic
● Stand up for your needs
● Don’t be afraid to be “different”
● Have the courage to be vulnerable
● Drop your mask(s).
Your reward: a sense of freedom

23. Element5:LiveYour Purpose
● Think about the impact you want to create in your life
● Pursue what makes your heart beat faster
● Notice what gets you out of bed in the morning
● Determine what you want to be remembered for.
Your reward: a sense of direction

24. Element6:KeepLearning
● Seek mental challenges
● Use failure for good
● Find inspiration in others' success.

25. Element7:ConnectWithYour Tribe
● Spend time with like-minded people
● Share your weaknesses with those you trust
● Find the shared humanity in all of us
Your reward: a sense of belonging

26. Element8:UseYour Strengths
● Believe in your natural abilities
● Use your best traits in different ways.

27. Element9:Help Others
● Help others in small and big ways
● Share your experience and “wisdom”
● Use your strengths in service of others
● Wish for others to transcend you.

28. Recap
1. Practice self-care
2. Live in the here and now
3. Know and accept yourself
4. Be authentic
5. Live your purpose
6. Keep learning
7. Connect with your tribe
8. Use your strengths
9. Help others.

29. CreditWhere
CreditIsDue
(5slides)

30. AncientWisdom
“Everyone is a house with four rooms: a physical, a mental,
an emotional, and a spiritual. Most of us tend to live in
one room most of the time but unless we go into every room
every day, even if only to keep it aired, we are not a
complete person.”
- Indian proverb

31. BronnieWareonthe RegretsoftheDying
1. I wish I'd had the courage to live a life true to myself,
not the life others expected of me.
2. I wish I hadn't worked so hard.
3. I wish I'd had the courage to express my feelings.
4. I wish I had stayed in touch with my friends.
5. I wish that I had let myself be happier.
(Source: Bronnie Ware, an Australian nurse)

32. AlaindeBottonon TheMeaningofLife
(00:01:15)

33. BrenéBrownonVulnerability
(00:20:50)

34. SusannaHalonenon Passion
(00:12:28)

35. FinalInspiration
(1slides)

36. MahatmaGandhi:
"Happiness is when what you
think, what you say and what
you do are in harmony."

37. Thankyou
(andplease:domoreofwhatmakesyouhappy!)