And a youth said, Speak to us of Friendship.
And he answered, saying:
Your friend is your needs answered.
He is your field which you sow with love and reap with thanksgiving.
And he is your board and your fireside.
For you come to him with your hunger, and you seek him for peace.
~Kahlil Gibran~
What do you think are the keys to true happiness and life satisfaction? Â
When a large group of millennials was asked to share their most important life goals, eighty percent said they wanted to be rich. Fifty percent said they wanted to be famous. They believed these two things would promise them the greatest chance for happy, fulfilled lives.
And of course, it’s not only millennials who long for those things.
What if we could study a large group of people from adolescence all the way through old age, meeting with them every two years, surveying them in their homes and workplaces, asking them about their sense of happiness and satisfaction?Â
For 75 years, researchers followed a large group of teenagers and young men from different backgrounds and social classes who signed up for a Harvard University study on adult development. Those men, too, wanted financial riches and to be known for their accomplishments.Â
In 2016, when this Ted Talk was presented, the study was still ongoing and included the wives and children of the original men.
What the researchers have discovered about the keys to happiness and satisfaction — and what happens to people who don’t have those keys (which are available to all of us) — may surprise you.Â
Two are better than one because they have a good return for their labor; for if either of them falls, the one will lift up his companion. But woe to the one who falls when there is not another to lift him up!
(Ecclesiastes 4:9-10)
Pondering:
- How satisfied are you in your relationships?
- Do you have friends and family you regularly spend time with? If not, why not?
- If not, what are some ways you can begin to nurture your existing family relationships and friendships?
- Do you have good, close relationships with friends or family you know you can count on when the going gets tough?
May the quality of your close relationships be warm, rich and full of mutual care.Â
