Ask yourself this question to know if you have made the right choice in your life

The pursuit of happiness is so complex that it seems unattainable to us. Does the mad pursuit of happiness ultimately make us unhappy? That’s the whole purpose of an exercise taught by Tal Ben-Shahar, Doctor of Psychology at the prestigious Harvard University. It’s based on a simple question that allows you to take a step back from your life to free yourself of the mental burden associated with pursuing happiness.

Tal Ben-Shahar, who says he himself suffered from “existential emptiness” for a long time, found answers during his psychology studies. His first observation: His formula for happiness was not correct, he claims that achievement and success are enough to be happy. Faced with this observation, how can we find the correct formula? The psychology professor then understands that happiness is possible, provided it is part of learning.

“If you became anonymous, what would you do with your life?”

“If you ask parents what matters most to their children, almost all will say: “That they be happy.” “But most of them lead them to pursue paths that are not necessarily suitable for them because they maintain the strong belief that professional success is the path to happiness,” he admits. Based on his own experience, the man whom everyone at Harvard calls the “Professor of Happiness” has been teaching for several years an exercise that helps you better estimate your level of satisfaction in life. It requires a simple question which should be answered spontaneously.

It’s an exercise Tal Ben-Shahar likes to teach at Harvard: “Imagine someone casts a spell on you that makes you anonymous,” he asks. Now no one will know anything about what you do. What will you do with your life?This question allows you to take a step back from your past and future choices. Some people spontaneously think of things they never imagined, while others realize with surprise that they will do everything exactly the same way. This practice allows you to free yourself from the gaze of others and question your true aspirations, which until now were obscured by fear of judgment and fear of failure. “This practice has often encouraged me to make radical choices,” says the psychology professor. but not always. When I practiced this while working on my PhD, I said, “Then I won’t pursue that PhD.” »Except that I also knew that this diploma was necessary to become a teacher. So, I continued, but with an awareness of the meaning of my efforts. The goal is not always to turn everything upside down, but to understand what we are doing with our lives.” Open your eyes to the small joys of everyday life.