The pursuit of happiness

This week is a rather different work week for me. For starters I am not in the office. I have been commuting into London every morning to attend a SQL Server 2005 course. This also means I have a little extra time during lunch to catch up with my reading. I am not sure if I mentioned this in an earlier blog entry that I bought the book “The Age of Conversation” from lulu.com. It is a compilation of 100 one-page contribution from bloggers on the topic of conversation. This is the brainchild of Drew McLellan and Gavin Heaton.

I haven’t finished reading the book but I thought I would share with you one of my favourite by Steve Bannister (www.sbannister.com). His entry is entitled “How to be Happy”. He likened the pursuit of happiness to the pursuit of a perfect diamond. I quote Bannister, “If the four Cs Diamond Guide (cut, color, clarity and carat) refers to the universal method of determining the value of a diamond, then the following four Cs Happiness Guide provides a template for happier living”.

1st C – Cut. A perfect cut of a diamond reveals its true brilliance.
Happiness – Cut. Cutting out toxic foods and damaging relationships will foster greater happiness.

2nd C – Color. Diamonds come in an assortment of colors.
Happiness – Color. Understanding your true color is like understanding your true strengths. Your happiness expands when you utilize your strengths.

3rd C – Clarity. The clearer a diamond, the greater the sparkle.
Happiness – Clarity. Your happiness increases as your life’s purpose becomes clearer.

4th C – Carat. Some diamonds are simply larger and therefore sparkle more brilliantly than others sparkle.
Happiness – Carat. Always remember to be grateful for what you have and give back whenever you can. This will make you a happier person.

This is not set in stone but I think they are good guidelines to remind us from time to time when we have forgotten about happiness.