Researchers delve into the meaning of happiness

Peggy Reising seemed to have all the touchstones of a perfectly happy life.

She had a marriage that lasted, children she loved, a beautiful home and her own computer-training business.

Yet when she was asked to rate her level of happiness from that period of her life — with 10 representing “extremely happy” and 0 representing “extremely unhappy” — Reising gave her life a 3.

“It just seemed I was on a merry-go-round with work, raising teenagers and being married,” Reising of Indianapolis recalls. “I hit a point that I believe everybody hits. I call it ‘the dark night of the soul.’ I had lost me. I just decided I wanted to be happier.”

The pursuit of happiness is mentioned as a primary concern in the Declaration of Independence. It’s a hot topic for talk shows and self-help books. It’s also a growing focus for research.

Link (courier-journal.com)