Monday, November 11, 2024

Publisher's Letter

Posted

Happiness

Dear Reader,

There are a lot of ups and downs

in life. Given these changes, how

can we be happy?

I am plowing through Edith

Hall’s book, Aristotle’s Way. She indicates

that Aristotle thought happiness

to be a state of mind no matter

what is happening to you. He

said happiness is the central purpose of life, and that it

can be achieved by living moderately, without excesses

that can be so alluring. It’s achieved by dealing with the

day to day fabric and texture of life and habitually doing

the right thing on a continuous basis.

Happiness is not the same as having wealth, power,

or fame, since many who have those become tainted

and conflicted. It’s a contentment we achieve when we

know ourselves, live according to our values, and avoid

getting sucked into what others seem to want us to

be. Happiness comes when we cultivate virtues in our

own character and in the way we deal with family and

friends.

Seems like a tall order. But it also makes sense: When

we are true to ourselves, we have the serenity of living

in accord with our highest values. Living the best version

of ourselves each day is certainly worth striving

for since it makes for a happier community that all of us

can engage in for both the short and the long run.

Patrick J. Wood

Publisher

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