Action for Happiness: Exploring What Matters

We all want to be happy. Some say money brings happiness, some say it outright doesn’t. Some say it’s family, some say it’s achievements. Some swear by meditation and peace, others by adventure and excitement.

But everybody says they want it. It’s the one thing everybody seems to agree on.

Action for Happiness is a movement of people whose aim is to create more happiness in the world around us and less misery. They do this by using new scientific knowledge about the causes of happiness and misery and applying it to people and communities.

The 3 Principles

The group has 3 principles:

  1. We can each affect our happiness and the happiness of those around us
  2. We need to prioritize the things that cause happiness
  3. Helping others is essential for a happier society

People can join as members (for free) with the only condition that everyone makes the pledge:

"I will try to create more happiness and less unhappiness in the world around me"

The group also arranges projects and initiatives to try and spread the principles and ideas and encourage others to do the same.

As a way of doing that, they create a course called "Exploring What Matters."

The Course

Exploring What Matters is an 8-week course that is run by volunteers around the UK (and world). It covers a range of aspects of happiness and well-being from individual to communities.

  1. What really matters in life?
  2. What actually makes us happy?
  3. Can we find peace of mind?
  4. How should we treat others?
  5. What makes for great relationships?
  6. Can we be happier at work?
  7. Can we build happier communities?
  8. How can we create a happier world?

Each week has a similar format. Each involves a little meditation, videos from experts on the subject, and an opportunity for the group to get together for a chat. People looking to be positive or help others come along and meet similar people.

At a time when complaining seems a national hobby, it’s a really positive opportunity. People can spend time with other positive people and learn about some aspects of positive psychology or research.

For more information, visit the Action for Happiness course page.