Perspective is power: True lasting happiness begins with shifting your mindset.

Mastery fosters meaning: Engaging deeply in lifelong, challenging pursuits helps develop personal growth.

Connection provides purpose: Shared community creates essential frameworks for long-term fulfillment.

If you’ve read our most recent posts, you may be concerned that this is turning into a blog about boomerangs. It’s not, we promise.* This is a blog about moral psychology and well-being. At the World Boomerang Championships this summer, Ed learned a few things from the best throwers in the world, who generally enjoyed high levels of psychological well-being to go along with their gorgeous boomerangs.

In such a diverse group (11 countries represented, ages 13 to 70), it was odd to see uniformity, even around a basic trait like happiness. So, as an annoying scientist does, Ed went around asking everyone, “What is the key to lasting happiness?” Speaking in their native languages, 15 competitors responded.

This wasn’t terribly scientific. But it did surface one of the problems with happiness: Everyone wants it, there are decades of research about it, but there is no consensus on how to get there. Case in point: Ask 15 people, and you'll get 15 answers that don't reduce to one. Here's what they told us, in no particular order:

This obviously should be in the latest research.

Take charge of your perspective

Be present, be positive, and be grateful. “The simplest or most direct way to be happy is to find the right perspective” (Florin, Germany; a remarkable 15-year-old).

Loofy, who........

© Psychology Today