I remember when I was in high school, a teacher was going around asking what we wanted to be when we grew up. I didn’t know what I wanted to be at that moment, but I do remember telling her that I wanted to be happy. She kept pressing me for a more substantial answer because apparently, saying that you want to be happy wasn’t quite enough of a goal in life. What sort of happiness? What makes you happy? What do you think will bring you happiness?
Those were tough questions to ponder over (especially for a teenager!) but I wasn’t the least perturbed. I knew that being happy was my goal and I had no illusions of grandeur about what was supposed to make me happy. I knew then that though the details would be fuzzy, but at least I knew what I wanted things to feel like when I got there.
So when I came across Laura Javier’s book Elements of Happiness, I stopped for a moment and remember what I said years before. The book, (you can read the full PDF here) is based on The Harvard Study of Adult Development, the longest prospective study of mental and physical well-being ever conducted.
From Laura’s website:
For 72 years, researchers at Harvard have been following 824 individuals through war, career, marriage and divorce, parenthood and grandparenthood, and old age. In this book, I’ve taken 10 representative case studies and visualized their salient character traits, personal timeline, social supports, and physical health to draw conclusions about “the happy life.”
I’m still reading the PDF and though I’m just halfway there, I’m in love with it. I love the study, the case studies and Laura’s design and concepts for the project. There’s too much for me to gush over, but if you love a peek into the minds and choices these people have made (and reading about how it affected their paths), then have a look at Elements of Happiness.
{Found via One Syndey Road }
I need cats, some nice dresses, and flight tickets!! 😀
Amazing! I love studies like this. I’m about half way through it to. Love it.
I’ve always have had an interest in human interaction and behaviour. I always love seeing the progression of the 7UP stories.
I have always had a secret desire in documenting people and their progression in life.
Thanks for sharing this link.
Fascinating!
How adorable that you told your teacher you want to “be happy” when you grew up. That’s perfect!
Thank you so much for sharing Elements of Happiness; I never would have found it on my own and can’t wait to get started.
I’m not much of a people person, but am fascinated by people’s likes because everyone is so vastly different and nothing makes me happier than people observing/finding/seeing something that makes them smile. That makes them happy.
I always enjoyed reading those “FOUND” magazines as well. Such a complex, humanized mystery behind each little scrap!
thanks for blogging about this! It’s right up my alley! I’m a designer & writer who actually publishes a little magazine all about happiness and what it means to different people!! It’s called Spoonful, a happiness companion, and along with the soul purpose of making people happy we work with many-an illustrator, artist, crafter, writer and poet to put it together! Come over and have a peek perhaps? I’d be very happy to send you a copy if you would like to review it. I know you probably know about me – in that I emailed you an age ago, but still, I think you and Spoonful could be friends 🙂
thea.
xx
reblogged this and linked it back to you. Just too super-rad to not spread the bird. x