Speaker shares the power of happiness
A trio of friends went to the Butler County Area Public Library on Tuesday evening looking for an escape.
Karen Snyder, Janet Barber and Jen Hundertmark, all of Butler, went to the right place, because in addition to seeing a presentation about happiness, they got to have a few laughs themselves with the speaker, Laurel Patterson, also of Butler.
Snyder said the one-hour presentation provided worthwhile smiles.
“There is a lot of gloom in the world,” Snyder said. “So anything that brings happiness is really nice to have.”
The library hosts presentations a few times a month given by speakers who are experienced in different subjects, from Lyme disease to child custody laws to Tuesday’s talk, the Power of Happiness. Throughout the talk, Patterson shared information about what happiness is, how it can be found and what influence individuals have over controlling their mood.
Patterson told the attendees that she is not a psychiatrist or trained mental health professional, and that she simply wants to share some knowledge she has gained through reading several books about happiness and mood.
She has done several presentations on happiness at venues around Butler County because “some of us really need it.”
“It’s going to take work, it is about developing habits, but it’s not something that is horribly hard,” Patterson said.
Patterson said happiness can keep people healthier, give them more energy and extend their life. The ways people define happiness and pursue that feeling, however, is different for everyone, but Patterson shared some tips that researchers have found to be generally effective.
Some of the tips even Patterson found to be a little counterintuitive, such as performing five acts of kindness in a day.
“If you do one kind act a day, it kind of becomes ho-hummy,” Patterson said. “They found that when people do five in one day, it involves planning, possibly five people; there is a lot more involved.”
Patterson said that on average, 50% of a person’s base happiness is genetic and 10% is based on life circumstances. The other 40%, she said, is up to an individual to control.
While people may be beaten down by different life situations, Patterson said they may be able to find ways of coping that can brighten their mood. She used the metaphor of the half-empty or half-full glass to make a point about perspective.
“The thing is, deal with the problem. But then enjoy the fact that you still have something that is there,” Patterson said. “It doesn’t have to be unrealistic, it’s just a matter of you see a problem, you see a situation, what piece do you choose to focus on, and that can help a lot.”
Patterson also said money and possessions don’t typically give people long-term happiness, but it can more often be found through life experiences.
Near the end of the presentation, Patterson did seven kinds of laughs, to show that laughter is contagious and healthy. She also showed images of that were meant to invoke a positive emotional response.
Barber found the presentation interesting, and said Patterson’s information on an individual’s shifting base-happiness resonated with her.
“When we were younger, we all wanted to spend time with our kids and be moms,” Barber said. “Now we’re all older and it’s different. It’s interesting how your happiness changes based on the seasons of life.”
Hundertmark said she appreciated the presentation because of Patterson’s advice for finding happiness.
“I think it was good to get those little nuggets of happiness for your family,” Hundertmark said.
