Searching for Happiness – A New Movement in America
Posted by Dr. Judy at 10:55 am
A new field of study, a film and a grassroots educational program offer new insights into our most valued emotion – happiness.
What makes us happy? Is there a specific formula for happiness? Do kids, marriage and money equate to a greater level of contentment? Are there scientifically proven principles regarding happiness that we can study, learn and practice? Do we live in a world that values and promotes happiness and well‐being? Are we in the midst of a happiness revolution?
These are some of the questions researchers are studying in a relatively new field called Positive Psychology. Positive Psychology is the study of human thriving, an examination of how ordinary people can become happier and more fulfilled. This new scientific field attempts to understand those aspects of the human experience that make life worth living. The field’s recent findings suggest an individual’s actions can have a significant effect on happiness and satisfaction with one’s life, which is good news for all of us.
A new film, HAPPY, directed by Academy Award® nominated director Roko Belic, sets out to answer these questions and more by exploring the secrets behind our most valued emotion… happiness. HAPPY, scheduled to be featured at this year’s Milwaukee Film Festival (Sept. 22‐Oct.2), combines cutting‐edge science from the field of Positive Psychology with real‐life stories of people from around the world whose lives illustrate these findings. We hear the story of a beautiful woman named Melissa Moody, a mother of three, who had a “perfect life” until the day she was run over by a truck. Disabled for nine years, and disfigured for life, she is happier now than before her accident. Manoj Singh, a rickshaw puller from the slums of Kolkata, India, lives with his family in a hut made of plastic bags and is found to be as happy as the average American. Through these and other stories HAPPY leads us toward a deeper understanding of how we can all live more fulfilling, healthier and happier lives.
