Multiple Streams of Happiness (& Why You Need Them)
Conventional economic wisdom teaches us to have multiple streams of income.
This allows us to have security in knowing that if one stream is taken away, we still have others to take its place and fulfill the same role and purpose the now defunct source of income once served.
Yet, when it comes to our happiness, we are often encouraged to have a single-minded focus on the pursuit of specific goals, to the exclusion of other areas of our lives.
We are encouraged to…
- focus on getting rich…and forget about our relationships
- climb the ladder in our careers…and forget about our health
- find romantic partners…and forget about about our purpose
- start a family…and forget about our passions
One thing is pushed onto us as being the main key to our happiness, and we so quickly fall into the trap of thinking that once we attain that one big thing we’ve been craving, we will finally be happy.
But what happens when you have a financial setback?
What happens when you get laid off from the job you worked so hard to advance in?
What happens when you break up with a romantic partner?
What happens when you face fertility issues?
There’s one thing we can guarantee in life, and that is that there are no guarantees.
Things are impermanent.
Things are always changing.
That includes our circumstances.
Things are always on their way in or on their way out of our lives.
Things are always happening contrary to our plans and expectations.
This is where the beauty of financial diversification comes in.
When we have multiple streams of income, we are able to better manage during seasons of transition and uncertainty.
It’s wise to not have all your eggs in one basket.
This is a familiar concept when it comes to our money, but we think about it less when it comes to our happiness.
The same way diversification of investments provides financial stability, diversification of joy provides emotional stability.
It’s not fair to ourselves to expect all our happiness to come from one place.
It’s not fair to other people to expect all our happiness to come from them.
Your happiness can be intertwined with other people, but should not be dependent on them.
The more sources of happiness you have, the stronger a net you’ll have to catch you during the times in life that you fall.
And, of course, the more enjoyable it is when things are “going your way.”
Happiness should come from a variety of sources:
- Things you do with others
- Things you do for others
- Things you do by yourself
- Things you do for yourself
These could include things like:
- Building skills
- Trying new activities
- Exploring new places
- Participating in hobbies
- Engaging in creative projects
- Pampering yourself with self care
- Creating art, in one of its many forms
- Curating and caring for your environment
- Creating memories with people you care about
You should have both recurring and one-time streams of happiness.
The weekly game night with your best friends has equal capacity to contribute to your happiness as the once in a lifetime scuba diving trip in Indonesia.
So ask yourself:
01 / What people (who are in my life now) make me happy?
02 / What people (who I would like to bring into my life) do I think would make me happy?
03 / What places (that I have immediate access to right now) make me happy?
04 / What places (that I would like to visit) do I think would make me happy?
05 / What things (that I have right now) make me happy?
06 / What things (that I would like to have) do I think would make me happy?
07 / What activities (that I do right now) make me happy?
08 / What activities (that I would like to start doing) do I think would make me happy?
Now go prioritize and pursue that.
Your happiness is your responsibility.
No one will prioritize your joy if you don’t.
Build your life around the people, places, and things that bring you contentment.
Fill your life with multiple streams of happiness.
Is there a more important aim?
(That was a rhetorical question, but no, the answer is no.)
