Choosing Happiness When Things Don’t Go Your Way

It would be really easy to be happy all the time if things always went your way. You’d never have to create a plan B, work through an obstacle, or deal with disappointment.

But that’s not real life, so you have to come up with a plan for happiness that also includes detours, road blocks, and loss.

We’ve recently started hosting TED Talk nights after the suggestion of our new friends Bessie and Kyle. Three TED Talks are chosen for the evening and then attendees talk about each one after watching. It’s a great alternative to a book club or dinner party for busy people because it requires no real preparation and introduces the kind of topics that don’t often make it into regular conversation.

The TED Talk below is about how to “synthesize” your happiness, or how you’re wired to be happy based on outcome, not initial goal.  Choosing happiness is an option that is supported by your brain. This information supports what I’ve always believed about adaptability being my greatest asset in leading a happy life.

It also confirms my belief that what you think you want is sometimes not what you actually want, and only by moving toward your goals can you discover the side paths that lead to your true calling.

You can watch this powerful TED Talk with Dan Gilbert below (click here if you don’t see the video).

And if you want to start having these kinds of conversations with your friends, we can highly recommend a night of TED Talks. Add food and drink, and you’ve got the makings of a powerful conversation that will last far into the night.

Discover our favorite TED Talk of the week in the Link Love section of the Sunday emails. (What? You’re not getting them? Click here to join the Inner Circle, and we’ll “see” you on Sunday morning.)