HAPPINESS and PLEASURE!
You’re probably thinking, what’s the difference? Well, quite frankly, often people pursue pleasure, thinking it will achieve happiness! This is far from true. Pleasure is normally the things that give you a couple of seconds of joy, like buying a new car or outfit, or maybe eating a lot of chocolate, or having a weekend away. It gives you instant joy but that luxury soon expires. It can become an expensive cycle too. Buying a new toy and then feeling instant pleasure, that pleasure soon wheres off so you buy something else, and so on and so forth! Having a holiday to escape from a miserable life isn’t happiness, it’s pleasure and it’s short lived.
Happiness is often free and it’s long lived! It’s the things, like cuddles with a dog, long chats with your friends or getting up everyday and doing something you enjoy, being in a happy relationship and having a job that doesn’t feel like work!
As a PT a lot of people say to me “I want to lose weight to be happy again. I don’t want people to be fixated on a number on the scales to bring them happiness. Its just a number, that number shouldn’t be what motivates you. I want that happiness to come from the healthy lifestyle that you have, having a good balance between the pleasures you have in life and the happiness that you can gain from a healthy lifestyle.
We preach so much about doing a form of physical activity that you LOVE doing. Exercise and fitness isn’t a punishment and nor is dieting. You want to fuel your body with good foods that you enjoy and celebrate being able to move your body.
We gain happiness from walking the dog however if that walk was a struggle it probably wouldn't bring me much happiness, for other people it may be playing with their kids and being able keep up with them.
Most people will aim for a 6 pack right? I can almost guarantee that gaining that 6 pack will bring pleasure, not happiness. Probably because you’ve given up everything you enjoy to get that shredded.
Learn how to fuel your happiness and not just your pleasure. Ultimately we need a bit of both to be living our best lives but don’t give up your happiness for pleasure and don’t chase pleasure looking for happiness.
