A special birthday gift
Last week was my birthday. That same day, I also received the editorial report on my manuscript for A Scrum Master’s Guide to Happiness. Like with birthday presents, I was looking forward to this review report. Feedback from a professional editor was the biggest unknown for my book project. I didn’t know what to expect, and now I got to unpack it.
Editorial review
Luckily, there was plenty of positive feedback on the title, overall consistency, ease of reading, personal stories, and applicability of the exercises. That was the easy part. Next, the editor made precious suggestions to improve the introduction, the structure of the chapters, and the flow between sections. So that’s where most of the work will be for me to complete my book.
One observation struck me: the word happiness is in the title, but it gets little attention throughout the book. Point taken! This feedback demonstrates how easy it is to get absorbed by your work and overlook these issues. And that´s why I´m currently contemplating the notion of happiness.
Definition of happiness
It is quite a challenge to come up with a definition of happiness because this question has preoccupied many great philosophers. And they all had their perspectives on how to achieve it.
Aristotle believed that happiness was the highest good and the ultimate goal of human life. He defined happiness as the realization of one’s full potential and the pursuit of virtue. He argued that happiness could be achieved through the cultivation of moral and intellectual virtues, living a balanced life, and seeking to fulfill one’s purpose.
Kant argued that happiness was not the highest moral goal, but rather, moral duty and rationality were more important. Kant believed that individuals should act according to moral principles, even if doing so did not result in personal happiness.
Buddha taught that happiness could be achieved through the cessation of suffering (nirvana). This could be accomplished by following the Noble Eightfold Path, which includes elements like right understanding, right intention, right speech, and right mindfulness.
Confucius emphasized the importance of social harmony and moral virtue in achieving happiness. For him, happiness came from following the principles of benevolence, righteousness, propriety, wisdom, and faithfulness. He believed that a harmonious society would lead to happiness for all.
So, who am I not to have my own definition of happiness?
Happiness seems closely related to personal needs, values, and purpose. When our needs are fulfilled, we feel happy because we got what we longed for (remember Maslow). Being able to express our values in our actions feels great. Recognizing that our life is in line with our purpose is fantastic.
That´s why I think happiness is a state of well-being where you realize that you are content and enjoying what you experience, physically or mentally.
Happy moments
The picture in this newsletter post illustrates one of my recent happy moments. I took my family out for a 50-meter climb of the St. Jan’s cathedral in ‘s-Hertogenbosch. We enjoyed a great view overlooking the city and the surrounding countryside. It was a wonderful experience.
I think we all have our definition of happiness. After all, what makes each one of us happy is very personal. So, what is your definition of happiness? And what was a recent happy moment that you’d like to share?
Take care and till next time!
Kind regards,
Herman / Scrumpy Dad
PS I write about discovering your personal values and purpose in my new book, A Scrum Master’s Guide to Happiness. Please subscribe to stay tuned…
