Are You Looking Forward or Backward?

By

Gerry  Niskern

I was talking with my #2 son the other day and as usual our conversation turned to the Pandemic, the state of our polarized country and other sobering  subjects. Then he said, “Hey Mom, lets talk about something looking forward, you know, some happy things.”

Sounded like a good idea to me and it reminded me of an article I had read in the New York Times recently about a course offered at Yale University called Psyc 157: Psychology and the Good Life. It is one of the most popular courses in the University’s 320 year history.

The course then evolved into  a course called The Science of Well-Being. It asks the students to keep track of their sleep, start keeping a Gratitude journal and to frequently perform random acts of kindness.

One of the rituals that most people missed during  the Pandemic was the act of giving hospitality; an act of kindness and also  the feeling of being needed. The joy of entertaining friends and just meeting to talk and maybe even vent a little.

All of this was very similar to my Mother’s recipe for living life. “You should be grateful!” was a phrase I heard many, many times while growing up. Also, “Be kind, especially to old people” was another. And if someone gives you a gift, when you are finished with it, you “do not sell it”. Always pass it on to another person who can use it.

The happiness course at Yale teaches that gratitude doesn’t come naturally. I find that hard to accept, but sadly I know that it is true. Perhaps if the many thousands who have taken the course (it was offered online eventually) begin to teach gratitude and kindness to their children, they will grow up to help create a happier world.