The Happiness Equation

We all want happiness, right?  Of course we do.  So how come so many of us are always searching for it.  Shouldn’t we have already found it by now?

Cycling is one of the things that makes me happy.  Everything about it.  I’m happy on my bike.  I’m happy when I get new bike stuff.  I’m happy when I see new people getting into cycling and making it their passion.

Outside of cycling, there are a whole lot of things that make me happy as well.  But even with all this happiness in my life, I find that things can pretty easily get tweaked…..and things all of a sudden are not so happy.

How can this change so quickly?  The Einstein part of my brain was thinking about this the other day, and here’s what I came up with.

Unless you’re born with the “Happy Gene“, you’re likely subject to living life according to The Happiness Equation.  I’ve always loved math, even though am so not a mathematician….but this is what I feel it looks like.

The equation is full of Family, Cycling, Eating, Friends, Pets, Adventure, Sex….and everything else that brings you happiness.  You see that X to infinity part to the equation?  Well, this is the little guy who can throw things over the edge and mess with your happiness.

So let’s solve for X.  What do you get?  First of all, the infinity symbol means that X is always changing.  I’m defining this to mean that constant change in the Universe will constantly mess with your happiness at all times.  What else do we get from X?  Love, of course.  But not just love…….choosing to love.  Yes, this whole mathematical mess equates to having a “choosing to love” attitude, and keeping that attitude through the constant diversity and change that revolves around your life.  Solve this equation each day (and throughout the day), and with it you can obtain the happiness you desire in your life.

My Personal Cycling Happiness Equation Story

This post could end right here, but I wanted to quickly share a personal story on this subject.  I could easily talk about all the times where not choosing to love has messed up my personal life, but let’s talk cycling this time around.

When I first started cycling here in Grenada I was frustrated, angry, and un-happy.  Narrow roads, cars coming way too close, potholes, and way too much inherent danger.  I had been used to the cycling environment of Austin where I could easily get in that zen-like cycling state, and had found a lot of happiness in my ride.  This change threw me into a depressed state of cycling un-happiness.

But just like in the equation, I found a way to solve X-infinity and start loving it again.  I wasn’t going to turn away from my passion for cycling.  No way, I had to get that happy feeling from my cycling once again.  So instead of throwing energies of hate towards all the things that were making me feel un-happy, I made all of those things work for me.  I chose to love the challenge.  I chose to love the adrenaline rush.  And in a twisted sort of way, I chose to love the danger.  In fact, I made sure I purposely brought more of it into the ride.

Instead of hating the factors that were messing with my ride, I welcomed them in and found a way to regain happiness on the ride.  It may not be relaxed happiness, but I’m cool with it.

Take a look at your happiness equation.  The next time X messes with things, choose love and take it back.