by Jerome Stone

Created on: September 15, 2009   Last Updated: September 22, 2009

A recipe for a happy life is within our grasp, but a guarantee for a long life? It seems like these two characteristics need to be separated and discussed individually.

Happiness resides within our mind and our perceptions of the world; it's a matter of our views on life and how we encounter it. Even in the most difficult times, it is still within our power to remain happy and to encounter life with gratitude for being alive and a sense of openness to all that life brings.

The ability to live a long life is dependent upon numerous factors, some of which are beyond our control. Granted, there are things that we can do to maintain a healthy life, relying on tried and true remedies such as being born into a good gene-pool (not a choice), living close to nature, eating healthy food, having close and intimate relationships, walking, etc. However, even the most diligent of us can still succumb to accidental death and illness; even the healthiest eaters and those who exercise conscientiously are still struck down by life-limiting illnesses. Despite our best intentions and our most pro-active choices, a recipe for a long life appears only to increase the probability of such and doesn't provide a guarantee.

A long life is objective; it's a quantifiable characteristic and therefore subject to external effects; whereas, the state or perception of happiness is subjective, an experience of internality and subject more to the individual than to the environment. Because of these differences and the phenomenal space that each of them occupy, it seems that the ideal recipe would be to cultivate a state of inner contentment and happiness, while endeavoring to engage in practices and habits that support longevity. This way, even if one does not live for a long time (how long is long?) at least one has lived a happy life, full of the riches of contentment and peace of mind.

An added benefit of living a happy life is that if one works in one's life to cultivate happiness and inner contentment, and maintains that presence while engaged in the activities of life, then one's own happiness has the added benefit of bringing happiness to others. Then, if one does live a long life, not only has one found the recipe for a long and happy life, one has shared the recipe with others.

When it's time for me to die, were I made to choose between the two, happiness or longevity, I would opt for happiness. After all, better to go to the grave with a smile and a content mind than wrinkles and worries. And, if I can have both happiness and longevity, what a bonus!

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