The 3 Great Essentials To Happiness

‘The great essentials to happiness in this life are something to do, something to love, and something to hope for.’ Joseph Addison

Everywhere around me I see people desperately searching for happiness.

They seek it in relationships, and I have watched people appear happy in their relationship, whether married or unmarried, and yet the very next minute they separate and seek happiness with yet another partner.

I have seen it as people fill their lives with cars, mansions, overseas holidays, money, and the perfect job – and yet after they have experienced some or all of the above they are still not happy.

So what are the essentials to happiness?

Joseph Addison proposes three. So let’s explore them together. For what is life if you cannot live each day in a state of happiness?

1. Something To Do

To have something to do is to live a life brimming with purpose. It has been my personal experience that when I wake up each morning with a clear plan of what I want to achieve that day, that I find myself in a state of happiness.

During this season of my life, from Monday to Friday I leave my home early each morning to travel to one of a number of my favorite coffee shops with one purpose in mind, and that is to create magnificence. This is a direct result of a decision that I have made to create a blog in the motivational, inspirational, personal development, and positive psychology niche that will rise to be in the top five blogs globally in both influence and profitability within the next twelve months.

In addition I wish to be published by a global publisher. I have self published in the past, and my books have ben sold in Australia and the U.K., but with my blog, after just six months of concentrated effort, now reaching people from 150 nations I want my next book to be published by an international publisher so that my book can be read in many of those nations in their own tongue.

So with that ‘to do’ list in my heart and my mind I find myself bounding out of bed each morning, full of energy, exploding with purpose to make it happen – and I am happy.

2. Something To Love

I would also add to the word something the word somebody.

For it is the people whom I love, and who love me for who I am, that make all the difference to my life.

As a father I have been driven to ‘do’ because of the desire in my heart to provide for my family, and to position them for success in their own lives.

As a husband I have done the same for my wife – wanting to create an environment in which she can blossom and become the woman she was created to become in her own unique way.

But at the same time I have learnt to love what I do, and to do what I love.

This has been a process of discovery throughout the years – a pursuit of my passion – but once discovered I have embraced it with both hands.

I pursue the outworking of my passion daily. It is where I spend the majority of my energies. I am fulfilled applying my strengths in that area of endeavor and therein work is not work. Work to me, even hard work, is pure joy – fulfilled happiness exemplified.

3. Something To Hope For

The dream has always drawn me. I have had many dreams.

One was to be in business with my children. I achieved that with my two eldest children when I created a web design company. After seven years of working with them I then assisted them in the launch of their own online businesses.

Now I have my third and youngest child working in my hair salon business – and will equip her in the years to come to launch her own business, if she so desires.

I continue to dream, for these are the things that I hope for. And while ever there is hope there is life.

Happiness resides when you live for a purpose greater than yourself and you live on purpose.

I always dreamt that I would influence people from many nations long before I had ever heard of the Internet or a blog, or ever considered that I could one day be a best selling author.

For someone who never really excelled in English at school this was a total surprise built upon hope and consistent practice.

So if you wish to live a happy and fulfilled life, follow these three steps:

1. Find something to do – something aligned to your strengths and passion.
2. Find something to love, and in your search find someone to love.
3. And lastly find something to hope for, by identifying your personal dreams, and pursue them.