10 Secrets of Science For Achieving Bliss (and my take)

~ Live & Learn

photography, jump, bliss, joy

Lori, my Zen Master and a bubbling brook of knowledge and wisdom, shared this FastCompany article titled: 10 Simple Science Backed Ways to Be Happier Today. I reflected on it for a few days. Here’s my conclusions and scorecard:

  1. FC: EXERCISE MORE–7 MINUTES MIGHT BE ENOUGH. (DK: Yes, to Exercise more. No, to 7 minutes being enough. Come on. 7 minutes would imply lazy, quitter, lacking and absolutely nothing. Period. Full stop.)
  2. FC: SLEEP MORE–YOU’LL BE LESS SENSITIVE TO NEGATIVE EMOTIONS. (DK: Completely agree. Horrible in actual execution.)
  3. FC: MOVE CLOSER TO WORK–A SHORT COMMUTE IS WORTH MORE THAN A BIG HOUSE (DK: I’m all in on this one. A BUYER.)
  4. FC: SPEND TIME WITH FRIENDS AND FAMILY–DON’T REGRET IT ON YOUR DEATHBED (DK: Hmmmm. Introverts? Solitude? Thoreau? Let’s define what we mean by “time.”)
  5. FC: GO OUTSIDE–HAPPINESS IS MAXIMIZED AT 13.9°C (DK: Half way there. All-in on outdoors. Happiness cannot be maximized @ 57° F. Give me Heat. Implementation at 50%)

  6. FC: HELP OTHERS–100 HOURS A YEAR IS THE MAGICAL NUMBER (DK: Fully agree on helping others. Swallowed hard at 100 hours. I need clarification on how “helping” is defined.)
  7. FC: PRACTICE SMILING–IT CAN ALLEVIATE PAIN. (DK: Hmmmm. My knee aches whether I freeze a grin or not. Partial believer. Implementation needs remediation.)
  8. FC: PLAN A TRIP–BUT DON’T TAKE ONE. (DK: Really? Not a chance. Disagree on planning and fully disagree on not taking one. Flawed research.)
  9. FC: MEDITATE–REWIRE YOUR BRAIN FOR HAPPINESS. (DK: A buyer on research. A zero on execution.)
  10. FC: PRACTICE GRATITUDE–INCREASE BOTH HAPPINESS AND LIFE SATISFACTION. (DK: The Power Ball Lotto secret. I’m all-in on this one. Packs the most punch in my opinion. 75% on execution.)

DK Scorecard:

  1. Level of my belief in FastCompany’s Top Ten: 6.5 out of 10. (55%). No doubt this research is somewhat flawed.
  2. Level of my execution on FastCompany’s Top Ten that I believe to be True: 5.0 out of 6.5. (77%) I’m almost floating in bliss!
  3. Level of my execution on FC’s Top Ten: 3.5 out of 10. (Lightbulb flashing over my head. Note to self: Hmmmmm. So, this is why Zen Master shared this article with me.)

Then the mind drifted to the last seed of wisdom Lori planted with me in March. It was a book written by Douglas Rushkoff titled Present Shock – When Everything Happens Now. Here’s a few nuggets from the NY Times Book Review:

  • He calls it digiphrenia — digitally provoked mental chaos
  • We are stuck with “a diminishment of everything that isn’t happening right now — and the onslaught of everything that supposedly is.”How do we shield ourselves from distraction, or gravitate to what really matters?
  • Whatever is vibrating on the iPhone just isn’t as valuable as the eye contact you are making right now
  • Your new boss isn’t the person in the corner office; it’s the P.D.A. in your pocket.

And there you have it. The Problem. The Answers. All in < 500 words.

Acknowledging addiction Is the first step to…bliss?!

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36 thoughts on “10 Secrets of Science For Achieving Bliss (and my take)”

  1. Lol! David…”I need clarification on how “helping” is defined.” You so totally crack me up. It would take me too long to comment upon those 10 Happiness Secrets, so I just won’t. Where is #10??? That’s an important one, I think.

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    1. OMG, I forgot #10. Just goes to show what happens when you impacted by digiphrenia. And that threw off the scorecard. I will fix now or I’ll get less sleep than the few hours I get already. Ughhhh. Thanks again Carol

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      1. I thought there was some underlying reason why you left #10 out…anyway, don’t get LESS sleep because then you may only be able to exercise five minutes, you’ll be grumpy and unable to cope with the negativity that is sure to come your way from leaving #10 out in the first place, you won’t feel okay in freezing weather, which will totally prevent smiling, and you won’t be in the mood to help ANYONE! Good luck on planning that trip that you won’t be taking. Just…MEDITATE…ponder the reason, the true reason that #10 was forgotten.

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  2. TH Scorecard:

    1. Seven minutes as a warm-up, come on people.
    2. I’m with Dave. Good idea but horrible execution.
    3. Fully on board and executing flawlessly.
    4. Partially agree. What if there are members of your family you don’t like?
    5. Temperature is individual dependent. Going outside and being with nature is always good.
    6. 100 hours can add up quickly. Holding a door, being nice to someone, being courteous can all add up.
    7. Think this has more to do with attitude. Don’t quite agree with smiling. According to the military, smiling is highly overrated.
    8. Planning and not executing is a useless waste of time.
    9. Fully onboard, need to execute more.
    10. Trying every day to get better. See item 6.

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    1. Tom,

      You get 1000 bonus points for participating in the survey. This entitles you to a free life time subscription to this blog. Like the pyramids, you just can’t put a value on that.

      We’re simpatico on most of the points. And LOL at many of your comments.

      Have a good day Tom.

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  3. Are we going to follow rules to be happy? Specially when we know that the term “Happiness” has a different definition for every next person. Besides, instead of finding ways to be happy we should be “Natural” which means we have every right to be sad at times. Last but not the least “learning comes from suffering” if am right. Anyway I will be listening to you all this time jsut consider my comment as “Blank” Pal 🙂

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  4. You are wise to have Lori as your sensai…and all in all, I think you should be pretty pleased with your scores given that this is your first time at this dance. I wonder whether or not we don’t ask ourselves these questions in one way, shape or form multiple times – hundreds of times – as we walk through our days and lives, and whether our responses are always the same..Something tells me no. But then again, I always prefer saying yes. 😉

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    1. Sensai. That’s it. That’s the word I couldn’t come up with when I was banging this out. Natch, it’s top of mind for you. And love your circular loop d loop thought process.

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  5. Firstly, David, I am still reeling at the news of my recent promotion–Zen master? Wow! I am not worthy, grasshopper…I only hold the mirror. 🙂 As for the list, love your assessments. I, too, call bulls$&?! On #1, agree totally with #2 (when Mama’s tired, ain’t nobody happy), am all over #3 (the longest part of my commute is down one flight of stairs to the coffee pot), wholeheartedly embrace #4, think #5 is insane (I wear a light sweater until the mercury hits 80), constantly strive to do better at #6, have found some success with #7 (but find that an NSAID works just as well), totally refute #8 (are you kidding me?!–if I plan a trip to the Maldives, I am TAKING that trip to the Maldives), like the concept of #9 but have trouble sitting still long enough to execute, and do my damnedest to practice #10 every day. I’ll kick off my Tuesday by saying I’m incredibly grateful to have a friend like you. 🙂

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    1. LAUGHING. You only hold the mirror away from you towards me.

      You too get bonus points for participating in the survey. And of course, a lifetime complimentary subscription to this blog. You had it anyway but now it is official.

      Shocked at how close aligned we are.

      And love your close. Me too Friend. Me too.

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  6. 1. 7 minutes? why not 7:07 or 6:59 …ore even better: 00:01! [oops, failed]
    2. huge fan of this one! zzzzzzz
    3. got that one covered – work at home!
    4. oh, no no no no no my friend! Give me peace and quiet please [failing this one, big time!]
    5. good thing we’ve go a dog! But, hey, what’s all this about temperature. Do we get to make requests to weather now?
    6. agree, but how does 100 vs 99 or 101 hours make any difference. For example, would the person inventing the cure for poverty not count because it would only take a minute to announce?
    7. that one’s covered too – even on the worst days! [maybe them especially!] here: 🙂
    8. funny how that one happens most of the times! Am I glad about it? NO!
    9. yep [don’t know if rewiring works but …who cares!]
    10. yep – big time.

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    1. Another player who played the game. You too are entitled to a complimentary lifetime subscription to this blog. And again, you were already on the this because you’ve endured my post from early on. (How DID you find me all the way from Greece? Or vice versa? No idea. But I’m grateful.)

      I do see you as a sleeper (artist, creative type, stereotype). LOVE your assessments. Thanks Marina. Have a great day.

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  7. I just can’t do meditation. Have tried. Get bored and fidgety after one minute. Start feeling like a failure after two minutes. Start thinking about what I’d rather be doing after three minutes. Go screaming mad at noises, however small, after four minutes. The phone usually goes, or someone rings on the doorbell, or the dog sticks its snout in my face within five minutes, which just goes to prove that it’s not for me.

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  9. Ok…I’m interested in how the word ‘Bliss’ is in the title and there is no mention of sex. I’m showing my naughty side…but essentially, read back through and apply sex to all 10 – exercise, helping others, meditation (post-coital), gratitude ( oh you bet!), smiling… I think we have overlooked something here! 😉 Great post! So fun.

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  10. Great post, David! As to meditation, I now meditate 3 minutes right after I get up, listening to chimes, birds and waterfall on my iPhone (love modern technology!) I can be in my half-sleep. Then I do 3-min of yoga. Highly recommend these. Then I read my emails!

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