Essay Putting happy into the new year By John Gathright	フレームで見る  英文をプリントする  脚注をプリントする
新しい年に幸せを 「スポンサー」として親子関係を築いているフィリピンの子供から、幸せな暮らしを感謝する旨の知らせが届いた。 筆者は非常に感激すると同時に、「幸福」について改めて考えてみた—。

Happy new year, everyone! I love new year's cards and in my pile of cards this year, I found a real treasure. It was a small handmade card from our foster child who lives in the Philippines. It included a beautiful picture of her smiling face and a small paragraph in her own handwriting:

"We are so happy and grateful this year. We have a roof over our heads, we can eat when we are hungry, and all my family dreams of being able to read. Thank you for helping us to be happy."

The card moved me greatly and made me think about happiness. Here in Japan we have so many things and so many opportunities, yet how many of us can say that we are "so happy and grateful"?

I decided to take a closer look at happiness. A little study revealed that the word "happy'' comes from the Norse word for "lucky.'' Fortunately, the word has taken on a broader meaning over the centuries. It would be depressing if happiness were confined to the whims of fortune.

A little further study revealed a vast amount of research on the subject. One country has even devoted itself to the pursuit of happiness. While most countries dedicate themselves to improving their Gross National Product or economic output, the small Asian nation of Bhutan has devoted itself to improving its Gross National Happiness. The government has made the cultural, environmental, spiritual well-being of its people a priority over monetary wealth, and although many have scoffed at the idea, the concept is slowly growing currency in the rest of the world.

A renowned expert in the field of happiness is Dr. Martin E.P. Seligman from the University of Pennsylvania. According to his research, happy people are those who surround themselves with family, friends and other happy people, while pursuing personal growth and intimacy. They also judge themselves by their own yardstick and never against what others do or have. They also lose themselves in daily activities and most importantly forgive easily.

I found his explanation very understandable, but still it doesn't mention having the material things necessary for life. We all know the saying, "Money doesn't make happiness,'' but it sure helps to smooth over the sad times. I am sure that we have all heard of or know of wealthy yet unhappy people as well as wealthy and happy people. Material wealth isn't bad if you can keep yourself from getting obsessed with it or comparing it to others.

Seligman also doesn't mention anything about having a satisfying career. It would seem difficult to be a very happy person if we had to do a job we hated eight hours a day, five days a week, for most of our life. Psychologist Mihaly Cskiszentmihalyi says life satisfaction and happiness most often occur when people are engaged in absorbing activities. He says we should be able to find at least some activities in our daily routine that we can lose ourselves in. If we can't, we should consider a new career

So now that we have some expert advise, I look forward to actively looking for happiness and sharing it with others. I hope that we are all able to get into the flow and enjoy 2007. May this be your happiest new year yet.

Shukan ST: Jan. 19, 2007

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