Happiness Economics

I've always considered happiness to be something elusive, a desire deep down in the heart of every man, even if they aren't willing to admit to themselves that it's there. I've listened to people over the years saying that happiness is found within, it's about the journey, not the destination, and 'if you have to move 10 inches from where you are now to be happy, you'll never truly be happy.'

Even though I agree wholeheartedly with these statements, theories, if you will, but I always wondered if maybe there was more to it than that.

I've recently started studying microeconomics as one of my first year subjects, and our professor just so happens to be a high-profile economist. One of the topics he has widely covered over the years is just this, 'Happiness Economics'. While it may seem really strange, once he started to speak, this curiosity and desire to understand this concept was growing inside of me!

I find it so fascinating, and so true, that our happiness, according to research, is not very often linked to our average income, and that it's not always possible to transform income into happiness and goods into wellbeing, to loosely translate from the Italian.  He also sustains that we are the main actors, the stars in our own happiness. And each one of us has the ability to bring out the capacity to become excellent, to do extraordinary things. Could it be that the economic world, the least likely forum imaginable, will be the one to point out to the world that everyone is searching for something deeper? Could it be that economists will reveal the flaws in our western belief systems? Could it be people will start to really consider the true source of happiness, all by seeing the beauty of 'relational goods' and the emptiness in material possessions?

I'm inspired.

Even though the link to economics may seem unclear, (I'm no economist... Not yet anyway!) I finally, for the first time, realised that, yes, the economic world IS searching deeper. It's no longer considered acceptable to assume that money means everything. But over and above this, I realised that this is something I'm passionate about!

I think I've found my place in the world.
Everyone should have a place. I hope that whoever you are and whatever you do, you're inspired, firstly, and you're passionate, secondly! Inspired, passionate people make a difference.
Ale
xx

I find this picture the twins took of a bud very appropriate!! (and cool) 

And this picture of me looking like a hobo, unrelated, but a nice pic.