Chapter I　　How to measure happiness

(１）With money, you can fulfill all your desires. （２）There are a lot of things that money can't get. （３）Still, we want enough money. But making a lot of money isn't easy. （４）Many people work as company employees. There is a limit to what one can earn as an employee. （５）Even if you gradually get ahead and earn more, still you don’t feel it’s enough. （６）Money can go down suddenly, but it rarely goes up suddenly. （７）When you push yourself to make money, it affects your mental and health. （８）It is realistic to do a job that suits you and maximize your happiness with that income.

【Summary】
　I think there are many situations where money is directly related to happiness, but I realize that getting enough money is not easy. In other words, if the definition of happiness is hypothetically "rich," it is not a very realistic definition because it is difficult to become rich. It is also doubtful that the definition of "rich" will hold true for everyone. Because there are some wealthy people out there who feel unhappy about themselves.
　What matters here is what goes beyond the "rich." Why do you want to be rich? A lot of people will say because you can do what you want. In other words, money is meaningless if you just have it, and it's important that you spend it and feel happy.

　

　Getting rich is not easy. Also, money is not an end, but a means to do what you love. In other words, there's "do what you love" beyond money. And you're going to need not only money, but health and freedom to do what you love. Plus, it's essential to have something you love (something you want to do).

　So far, from the aforementioned brainstorming list of "what is happiness," I was curious about "rich people" and thought about the relationship between happiness and money.
　Next, if you look at the words other than "rich people," you'll find things like "health" and "good relationships" on the list, but it's too narrow to define happiness, so I'll take the plunge and delete them.
　As for the other words, after thinking about each connection and various situations, I've concluded that "having fun" is the most directly connected to happiness, applicable to many people, and is the easiest keyword to understand.
And I've defined happiness as "Having a theme you want to do for fun and doing it."

　Next, I'll think deeply about "the theme you want to do for fun," including the meaning of testing this definition. And if there are any inconsistencies or areas for improvement in the definitions, they can be corrected.
　Here's a bulleted list of "what you want to do for fun":

（１） There are a variety of subjects we want to do for fun. （２）Money, time and health are necessary to carry out the theme. （３）There are long-term themes, mid-term themes and short-term themes. 【What are long-term themes?】 【What are mid-term Themes】 【What are short-term themes?】

　As a result of thinking deeply about the "theme you want to do for fun", I think you've come to see the specific image of this definition, the requirements, etc. If you find any inconsistencies or areas for improvement in the definition, you can correct them until you're satisfied.
　After much consideration, I've decided to stick with this definition.
　And here's a break.

　

　I defined happiness as "having a theme you want to do for fun and doing it" .
　Next topic is to measure happiness.
　To measure something, you need to think about a metric. If you can set universal standards that many people will accept, you can quantify happiness levels. And if you know your happiness level by the numbers, you can begin to see specific ways to live a happy life.

　Now let's consider what factors (criteria) are appropriate to measure the "subject you want to do for fun."

Again, I've summarized it in bullet points.

（１）Everyone is happy when they are executing the subject they want to do for fun. But, different themes have different levels of fun. （２）You decide what you want to do as fun. Then, through the sense of anticipation until the theme is implemented, there is a feeling when it is implemented and a sense of fulfillment after it is implemented. （３）In addition, think about the joy you feel when implementing the theme.
When do people feel joy (as a result of brainstorming ideas):

　As for the evaluation criteria for measuring the level of a theme you want to do for fun, I first thought that the sense of excitement before implementing the theme and the memories after implementing it were important indicators for measuring the theme. This means that the important evaluation criteria are how excited you were before you started the theme and how good memories you had after you finished it.
　In addition, the evaluation criteria for the pleasure you feel while implementing the theme should be considered from those listed in (3) which are appropriate indicators of evaluation.
　While reviewing the similarities and other aspects of the items listed in (3), a word came to mind. "Sense of achievement ". When you're praised, when your desires are satisfied, when your curiosity is satisfied, and when things go as expected, can result in a sense of achievement. This means that these items can be expressed in "sense of achievement ".
　Furthermore, one of these items in (3) that I felt I could not remove was "growth". A sense of achievement is a momentary image of something achieved, while growth is a continuous, step-by-step process. It is also a human instinct to feel joy about growth.
　For these reasons, I was sure that "sense of achievement " and "growth" are also important factors that are directly linked to the happiness we can gain by performing the theme we want to do for fun. So, I added these two as evaluation criteria.

　We now have four evaluation criteria: sense of excitement, sense of achievement, growth, and memories . You can think more, but too many evaluation criteria can complicate things. Therefore, I decided to use these four as criteria for evaluating the themes you want to do for fun. Later on, you can repeat the practice and add or change as needed. If you're once satisfied, it's important to move forward.

　

　Once you have a set of evaluation criteria, the next step is to come up with a quantitative evaluation method.
This task is simple. All you have to do is quantify the level of sense of excitement, sense of achievement, growth, and memories, as follows:

【About the Sense of Excitement】 【About the Sense of Achievement】 【About Growth】 【About Memories】

　

　Now, let's deepen our understanding with specific examples. The main points are as follows.

Theme example （１） You ate a delicious cake.
You bought a cake from a famous cake shop. It was delicious enough to be among the best 3 cakes you had ever eaten.

Theme example（２） Your hobby is visiting castles and you visited a famous castle you always wanted to go.
　Visiting castles around the country has been your hobby for the past 10 years, and you were able to visit a beautiful castle with a good guide this holiday.

Theme example（３） Went on your honeymoon.
　You were excited from the planning stage. And was the most memorable trip ever.

Theme example（４） You won the national Judo tournament.
　After six years of hard work in the judo club since junior high school, you become a high school champion.

Theme example（５） You have opened a bar, which has been your dream (goal) for many years.

You saved money while working at a restaurant for 10 years. And finally, succeeded to open a whiskey bar.

　

　The four indicators "sense of excitement," "sense of achievement," "growth" and "memories" are all important, but the themes that score high in "growth" tend to have high levels of happiness (total points).
　If it's a theme you do for fun, "sense of excitement" and "memories" are unlikely to score below 5 (normal). That's because it's natural to be excited before doing something you enjoy and have good memories when you're done. On the other hand, when it comes to growth, it's not always because it's fun. An event like a concert, for example, the growth score might not be high.
　Feeling growth is a very happy thing. It is not an exaggeration to say that human beings wish to grow day by day in all things. I think you will understand it if you remember the joy of being able to do things you could not do before and the fulfillment of gaining knowledge you did not know.
　In that sense, one of the tips to improve your happiness level is to choose (practice) themes with "growth" in mind.

【Summary】

　

So far, I have been thinking a lot about happiness in order to consider and evaluate the definition of happiness. Thinking deeply about "happiness" has led me to realize many things about "unhappiness" as well.

（１）There is no need to deduct your happiness level according to your unhappiness. （２）Unhappiness and hardship are important elements that enhance happiness in the future. （３）When something is missing, people feel unhappy. （４）If you are unhappy in your later years, you look to the past for the value of your life. （５）The "long-term theme" should be created with the timing of your death in mind.

　

　Furthermore, as I advanced my thoughts on unhappiness, I realized that all unhappiness can be classified into 2 types. To realize this can help prevent unhappiness or calmly deal with it when it happens.

（１）"Mental shock" and "financial shock" are the consequences of unfortunate events. 【Major causes of mental shock】 【Major causes of financial shock】 （２）Time will solve mental shocks. Financial shocks can't be solved without money. （３）It is important to be aware of the life to be happy and at the same time realize that there are unfortunate events in life.

【Summary】
　There are many misfortunes (shocks). And it is not an exaggeration to say that there are as many instances of recovery as there are misfortunes. In other words, misfortunes suffered by oneself are not uncommon, and many people have experienced similar misfortunes in the past. And in the rules of thumb that have helped many people recover from misfortune, you will find tips for dealing with the misfortunes you face.
　If you experience misfortune (shock), don't panic. There are many experts for different issues. You can also refer to books and information from the Internet. It's relatively easy to get answers to every problem.
　When you're faced with a problem that's beyond your control, or when you're in a difficult mental state, don't fret alone and look outside for a solution. Don't leave unhappiness alone. Moving forward is the first step in the solution.
　In a world where basic human rights are recognized, everyone is free to live as long as they don't commit a crime. As long as you stay alive no matter how hard it is, you have a chance of resurrection. In other words, no matter how great your misfortune, there is a bottom, so if you feel you have reached the bottom, you can trust that it will rise afterwards.

　

　 There are many things in daily life that make you feel irritable and anxious. As an extension of thinking about unhappiness, I have also summarized irritable and anxious as follows.

（１）If there is a lot of irritability and anxiety in daily life, it is not a happy life. （２）When we think about our current state of mind momentarily, we can categorize it as negative, zero, or positive. （３）There is always a cause for the present feeling (state of mind). （４）You can find the negative causes and regain your composure when the causality is clear. （５）By quantifying the negative and positive levels of your feelings, you can get an objective picture of your condition.

【Summary】
　People feel irritable and gloomy when the situation is different from what they expect or want. And irritability and gloomy can lead to stress. But it's hard to control your feelings. People get frustrated on their own when they have a bad day.
　For example, if you're frustrated because of a train delay, the irritation will go away once the train starts running normally. If you're waiting for a delayed train and someone you don't know happens to be next to you does something unpleasant to you, your frustration level will double. Furthermore, if the other person is supposed to be at fault, but the people around you see you as the perpetrator, you'll feel terrible.
　If it's just a train delay, it's not a big deal, but if you have multiple unpleasant things going on, your frustration will double or triple and you'll be feeling it for longer.
　The only way to get rid of your irritation is to convince yourself. If you can't convince yourself even if the person who caused your irritation apologizes, your irritation will not subside. It may fade over time, but it can be difficult to control your feelings immediately on your own terms.
　The best way to resolve (alleviate) such annoying irritations is to think calmly about causality. Identify the cause of your current irritability.
　In the previous example, there are three causes of irritation: train delays, unpleasant people, and misunderstandings around you. Once you have identified the cause, you can consider measures to convince yourself. Then you will treat each one as a "past event that is no use to be frustrating."
　 For example, consider this:

　People who experience a lot of frustration on a daily basis may have a lot of frustrating happenings left unprocessed.

　Not only "train delays," "unpleasant people," and "misunderstandings around you," but let's say you get home and run into more irritant. When this happens, you get mixed up with the previous irritant and become uncontrollable.
　Let's say you come home and the following things are waiting for you.

　It would be quite frustrating if this happened in addition to the series of train station frustrations. But don’t just say "What a hassle!" or "What a bad day!" here. You need to consider causality and countermeasures until the frustration subsides.

All of them are easy to answer. Of course, it takes the hassle of going shopping, admonishing your kid, coming up with a good rejection text, and contacting your credit card company, but consider these the hassles necessary to deal with the negative life events that can happen to anyone with a certain probability. If you deal with them properly, you'll probably feel less frustrated and be able to forget about your "bad day" without too much drag. If you can digest the frustration yourself and tell a friend, for example, a "funny story," you've completely blown it.

　If you feel frustrated, examine the cause of your frustration one by one to determine the cause and effect. In many cases, knowing the cause of your irritation can reduce your frustration. And if action needs to be taken, the key is to do it quickly.

　

　So far, I've written about the definition of happiness and how to measured them, and about unhappiness and frustration.
　As an end to this section, I've summarized what you want to be aware of to actually be happy.

（１）The four indicators of happiness "sense of excitement, sense of achievement, growth, and memories" tend to score higher as your sensitivity increases. （２） Sensitivity can be increased through awareness and training. （３） Impression can be transmitted to others, creating a virtuous circle. （４）People who are sensitive and honest are happy people.

【Summary】
　To increase sensitivity, be aware of "Why? ","I see! ","Amazing!".
　On daily basis, you should be interested in various things, saying "Why?". Then think and research the answers to "Why?".
　Once you know the answer, it's important to be honestly impressed and say, "I see!". Now that you know the answer to something you didn't know, do yourself a favor and say, "I see!" instead of, "Hmm."
　Being sensitive at an older age makes you look younger. I think the secret to youth is the feeling of looking for something fun or unfamiliar. Even an attitude of acceptance without even bothering to "look" should stimulate sensitivity and have a positive effect.

　On the other hand, a difficult look like a realization of life, or an attitude that you are always right, will keep you away from others. It can be fun to share your opinions and experiences with others (especially those younger than you), but one wrong move and you'll be just a preacher. You want to be careful.