When you are on the dating treadmill it’s so easy to become discouraged. Drudging through date after date….. That whole experience of building up the other person in your head while you volley sassy emails…..in between staring at the best photo they uploaded onto their profile. Then you hit the daydreaming phase of the online dance, the one where you imagine your life together even though you haven’t actually met in person…you just know it’s not healthy, but you can’t help yourself. Then you meet and it doesn’t go well and back to the drawing boards. Well, maybe an update in perspective could help. There’s a ton of research out there that suggests happiness is something that you obtain on your own, without the love of your life. In fact, you might just find the love of your life because of your positive vibes.
According to University of Minnesota’s famous psychology professor David Lykken "Happiness is genetically influenced, although it is not genetically fixed. The brain's structure can be modified through practice. If you really want to be happier than your grandparents provided for in your genes, you have to learn the kinds of things you can do, day by day, to bounce your set point up and avoid the things that bounce it down."
Want to measure your happiness? Try the Authentic Happiness Questionnaire :
authentichappiness.edu
Posted by online dating on April 10, 2009 at 07:17 PM EDT #