Published: May 02, 2009 10:02 pm      

Vasicek: Enjoying life in gloomy times

Watching American economics – particularly the automotive sector – is like watching a psychedelic pattern spin around. Crazy, man, crazy.

GM wants the government to buy up most of its stock in exchange for debt forgiveness. Chrysler is depending upon Fiat to deliver it from bankruptcy; we entertain doubts about whether these corporations will survive. Even retirees feel stress: Pension obligations have been traded for stocks.

Is the gloom nearly over? Recent polls indicate that 26 percent believe the economy is getting better, 36 percent believe it is staying about the same, and 37 percent say it is getting worse. The fate of the auto manufacturers will probably determine whether that latter 37 percent finds they are correct.

Despite the ups and downs, it may surprise you that many Americans are about as happy as ever. According to Associated Content, a poll taken earlier this year reveals that most Americans feel happy, despite the economy: “A new poll conducted by the Gallup Organization finds that American citizens are generally happy with their lives. According to a survey of more than 1,000 Americans at least 18 years of age, a majority of Americans characterized their lives as ‘generally happy,’ while slightly more than half said they were ‘very happy.’ More than 80 percent of those polled expressed satisfaction with their personal lives while a slight majority said their lives were ‘very’ satisfying. Gallup notes that the poll’s findings differ significantly from the opinions of Americans when asked about the state of the union as a whole.”

One cannot be a pastor for 30 years without noting the obvious. One observation seems clear: Unhappy people appear stubborn about maintaining patterns that make them unhappy! They think we happy folks are mentally compromised.

Abraham Lincoln once quipped, “Most people are about as happy as they make up their minds to be.” Lincoln’s pithy quotable often holds true, but human beings are complicated creatures. With all our scientific investigations, we do not fully understand the workings of the human mind. Genetics, I believe, has much to do with how happy we feel. Some people seem to be born with a gloomy nature, while others enter life with a cheerful and positive disposition.

Still, interesting research has been done on the subject of happiness – and correlations to happiness. For starts, I would like to share some research findings coupled with my own perspective. I suggest that there are three elements that affect how much we enjoy life: meaning, (feelings of) happiness, and positive experiences.

Like melody, harmony and rhythm, each element adds a certain depth that contributes toward the entire anthem of enjoying life. Most of us would agree that melody represents the most important part of a song. We recognize tunes, we hum tunes, and most of us sing melody. This corresponds to meaning (or purpose) in life. Purpose energizes us, even in adverse circumstances.

Meaning comes from things like religious belief (e.g., existing to glorify God), being responsible to care for and raise children (or an ailing parent), or fighting for one’s country (making a difference in the lives of others). Without purpose, we have little depth. It ranks as the most indispensable of the three.

Happiness represents the feeling we experience from many sources, especially friendship. Having good friends and a social life correlates with happiness, according to Arthur Brooks (author of “Gross National Happiness”). We might compare happiness to harmony – it enhances the melody of meaning.

The third element includes positive experiences: community events, the arts, sports, hobbies or interests that offer us “lifts” in varying degrees. Like rhythm, they add pizzazz to our lives.

Even in challenging times, folks who have meaning, good friends and pursue interests describe themselves as happy people. Even in the best of times, those who lack all or some of these elements are typically unhappy. The question remains: Are happy people drawn to these elements, or do these elements create an enjoyable life? The answer is a matter of debate. For now, I wish you an enjoyable day!

Ed Vasicek is pastor of Highland Park Church and a weekly contributor to the Kokomo Tribune.