Be Lazy, Be Happy

December 14, 2018

How can we be more happy?

Entire industries have been built on this subject.

People have made themselves multi-millionaires talking about this subject.

And still unhappiness persists.

Some say it’s getting worse.

Can anything be done?

Is there any magic checklist for getting, and staying, happier?

Yes.

But first a quick story.

The other day I was talking to a relatively young man about investments. During the conversation, it came out that he used to be in the military. Even more, it turns out he was the right-door gunner on a combat helicopter doing missions in Africa.

Whoa.

I said, “You must have some serious stories.”

You know what he said?

“I don’t want to talk about it.”

And there it is.

Of course he didn’t want to talk about it. The things he’s seen are things he never wanted to talk about again. That makes sense.

But the big takeaway is why didn’t he want to talk about it.

Why not?

Because talking about it is painful.

It’s painful and sad and would only bring back things best forgotten.

If he talked about it, he couldn’t move forward.

He wouldn’t have a chance at happiness.

That’s the secret.

We’re all wired to forget the bad stuff. Our minds naturally will let things go that will hurt our future happiness.

We have to work to keep bad thoughts in our heads.

We actually have to go out of our way to make sure our minds won’t do what comes naturally: forget.

Being unhappy is constant hard work.

So, if we want to be happier, we just have to get lazier.

Don’t dredge up bad times. Don’t replay failures. Stop doing all that work.

Just be lazy and let all the bad thoughts go away.

The lazy way is the happy way.

My book is called The Inevitability of Becoming Rich, and you can find that here.