How to define your own version of happiness and live it
Abongile Nzelenzele chats to life coach and author Peter Teuscher about his booke 'Rethinking Happiness'.
Happiness, people leaping on sunset beach. Image: Jill Wellington on Pixabay
Are you chasing happiness or living it?
It's a question addressed in the latest book by life coach and author Peter Teuscher called 'Rethinking Happiness: and the beliefs that guide you'.
Teuscher redefines what it really means to be fulfilled, challenging society's 'checklist approach'.
True happiness, he says, comes from living with purpose according to your beliefs, not just achieving goals.
Rethinking Happiness by Peter Teuscher
In conversation with Abongile Nzelenzele, the author explains why the topic is so important to him.
"My view is that happy people tend to be better partners and better citizens, neighbours and so on, I think when we're in an authentic happy place we make better choices and not only do we live our best selves, but we're better to other people."
Peter Teuscher, Author - Rethinking Happiness
In his work as a coach, clients come to Teuscher confused that they're still not happy after having 'checked all the boxes', for instance they've found a partner, got a career going, perhaps even have a family, and so on.
What he does in his book, is to encourage people to define happiness in their own way.
"It's about getting to the root of that and recognising that you've actually fulfilled other people's ideas of happiness rather than your own... and when you can be really satisfied with who you are and you're able to live life on your own terms according to your values, I think that's the direction to go."
"What we do is we have these peaks in our life where we say 'I was really happy then' and everything in between is kind of filler, but you can find so much happiness in every moment."
Peter Teuscher, Author - Rethinking Happiness
Teuscher also relates how his own experience with depression led him to changing his habitual way of thinking and beliefs he'd built up since childhood.
'Rethinking Happiness' is a guide to help you:
- Evaluate your current state of happiness
- Become aware of how your personal beliefs affect your life
- Gain clarity about your own definition of happiness
- Develop new strategies to make choices for a happier life
- Engage in more things that make you happy on a daily basis
- Learn habits to help you find joy in the moment
- Realise that everything you need to be happy is already within you
Scroll up to listen to the in-depth interview with Teuscher