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In my studies I have also come upon time-honored spiritual and philosophical teachings that offer unique insight on the pursuit of happiness. Often, modern research on happiness and other related topics supports the principles of these teachings. For instance, the practice of mindfulness meditation helps us to be content and satisfied with the present moment, just the way it is⁴. Despite being thousands of years old, this teaching has recently received a great deal of attention from medical and psychological researchers. For example, one study found that people recovering from major depression who had suffered through three or more depressive episodes were significantly less likely to relapse when they participated in an eight-week mindfulness meditation program, compared to others recovering from major depression who received their usual treatment⁵. Amazingly, modern research suggests that this ancient wisdom is still useful in the pursuit of happiness and is an effective way to fend off depression.

Using the full extent of my knowledge from psychological research and teachings I have learned for my own personal interest, this column will give you practical, accurate, and scientifically tested information on the pursuit of happiness. This topic will be discussed in a wide variety of contexts, ranging from its connection to the latest news to questions that humans have pondered for millennia. Ultimately, I hope that this column empowers you to discover for yourself what makes you happy and how you can spread that happiness to others. In the lifelong pursuit of happiness, each step can be an adventure in itself. What will your next step be? Check out my next column for some ideas.

1 Diener, E. (2000). Subjective well-being: The science of happiness and a proposal for a national index. American Psychologist, 55, 34-43. 2 Lyubomirsky, S., Dickerhoof, R., Boehm, J. K., & Sheldon, K. M. (in press). Becoming happier takes both a will and a proper way: An experimental longitudinal intervention to boost well-being. Emotion. 3 Lyubomirsky, S., Sheldon, K. M., & Schkade, D. (2005). Pursuing happiness: The architecture of sustainable change. Review of General Psychology, 9, 111-131. 4Brown, K. W., Ryan, R. M., & Creswell, J. D. (2007). Mindfulness: Theoretical foundations and evidence for its salutary effects. Psychological Inquiry, 18, 211-237. 5 Ma, S. H., & Teasdale, J. D. (2004). Mindfulness-based cognitive therapy for depression: replication and exploration of differential relapse prevention effects. Journal of Consulting and Clinical Psychology, 72, 31–40.