Personal happiness is a hot topic these days. We can find loads of books and podcasts on the subject. Checklists abound for what we need to do to be happy – count our blessings, get plenty of sleep, meditate, go to church, keep our homes organized. According to Dr. Bill Bellet, many of us work WAY too hard to find happiness.
As we chat in his Nashville office, I get the uneasy feeling Bill has me all figured out about five minutes into our conversation. For over 30 years, this New York City-reared psychologist has guided and counseled corporate board members, executives, couples, families, and individuals.
Bill confides he meets clients everyday who claim to be unhappy. On the outside, they seem to have everything they need or want – health, good jobs, nice families and spouses. But – all too often – it is not enough to satisfy them.
“People seem to always want more,” Bill says. Even with good incomes and loving families, many are unhappy because irritable bosses or lackluster sex lives or imperfectly decorated homes consume their thoughts. “When you get a little bit of what you want, you are happy for awhile. And then you want more,” Bill explains.
Bill has raised eight sons and one daughter with his wife, Marie. He’s analyzed his own behavior and counseled clients. And – along the way – he’s developed a personal “set of rules” which lead to positive mental health and happy relationships.
Get out of yourself
Practice self control
Embrace uncertainty
“Get out of yourself is quite a simple notion,” Bill says. We must stop the constant focus on what WE want and what makes US happy. As we develop the habit of empathy and kindness to others, “we are content and feel good about ourselves,” Bill continues.
“Compassion and not jumping to conclusions” are the hallmarks of getting out of yourself. The driver who took “your” parking space may not have known you wanted to pull in. Even though you might rather have him home, is it so difficult to be happy your hard-working husband received a tennis invitation? According to Bill, “Things aren’t always about you, and it is human nature to believe they are.”
Bill asks me what characteristics I believe make for a happy relationship. Good communication, intimacy, trust, I offer. “Yep, those are the typical responses I hear,” he says. “And these things all require self control. A conversation with a spouse when you don’t feel like it. Honest and committed and loyal behavior.”
When you lack self control (and we all do sometimes), the communication, intimacy, and trust suffer – all components of a good relationship and a happy self. Bill asks me to think about the last time I barked (me?) at my husband, over a tiny matter, and then laid in bed later feeling rotten about it.
Why is the ability to embrace ambiguity important? We live in an uncertain world. As much as we’d like, we cannot control the future or change the past. As Bill says, “We don’t wish for betrayals or job losses or breakups, but they happen. And we must embrace them and move on.”
“Aside from what others may want us to know,” Bill points out, “struggle is a part of life.” If we become competent with things that do not go our well-planned way, we can adapt to the next illness, missed flight, kid issue, or leaky roof. “The uncertainty, the unknown, is an adventure and is part of what we should look forward to,” Bill tells me.
Most people – and I am at the top of the list – like to control and set things up for the outcome they desire. “But imagine how boring life would be if we knew every single thing about to happen,” Bill smiles.
Get out of yourself
Practice self control
Embrace uncertainty
You may also enjoy a story about Dr. Bellet’s 21-day positivity exercise.
This gives us something to think about, especially as we start off the new year!