Stephanie Harrison is a positive psychologist.
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The World Happiness Report recently celebrated its 12th birthday. Not surprisingly, Finland has once again topped the list as the happiest country on the planet for its seventh consecutive year.
It appears that wealth alone does not boost our happiness levels. In fact, some of the happiest places in the world according to one report —the Dominican Republic, Sri Lanka, and Tanzania—are all non-Western developing nations not known for their wealth and abundance. Perhaps there is something else going on here. These nations value family and social connections in ways other countries do not. In fact, human connection is the glue that keeps society—and ourselves—together.
And what if our definition of the very thing that makes our lives meaningful is completely different than what society has taught us to believe? What if happiness isn’t what we think it is?
Positive psychologist Stephanie Harrison claims we have gotten it all wrong. In her new book New Happy: Getting Happiness Right in a World That’s Got It Wrong , she states that much of what we have been told will bring us happiness is an outright lie—including perfection, financial success, and millions of Insta followers.
The true secret behind happiness is what she considers counterintuitive. In fact, it’s not about you at all. Helping others is a proven path to whatHarrison terms the “new happy,” the true definition of fulfillment and joy.
Harrison advises readers to disentangle themselves from the “old happy” that fixates on perfection and external accolades. While those are nice to have, they should not be the basis of your self-worth , which is intrinsic. In fact, you are not defined by your successes or failures, according toHarrison. Sharing our unique gifts and talents with the world will make us happy, no matter what comes of it. Plus, who are you to deny the world your happiness? Happiness is like love. The more you give it away, the more you will receive it.
