Heart's Adventure

I recently read Stumbling on Happiness by Daniel Gilbert and was reminded of one of the most important things that I learned in school; that every world view is only a model of the world, not necessarily the way the world is. Gilbert notes logical fallacies in our search for happiness, particularly our inability to predict the future, and  it appears that people are just as bad at predicting a positive outcome as a negative one – So much for blind optimism. Gilbert does, however, provide hope that through action, commitment, (and sometimes through our resilience to pain and tragedy) we can create a greater sense of pleasure in our lives. Ultimately, he suggests that our best bet for predicting the future is to look towards the happiness of others who have followed similar paths. With all this in mind, as I look towards the new year, I’m resolved to taking action in my life based on commitment to my values and listen to the wisdom of others who’ve walked a similar path.