Balancing Your Happiness Scale

In the first chapter, From Happiness to Bliss, we looked at the five levels of happiness... Numbness, pleasure, false happiness, everyday happiness and bliss. We all normally exist in some combination of these levels with Bliss being the ultimate goal to live in at least some of the time. Bliss is very different from the other states. In this experiment I will answer the following questions.

• Over the recent past approximately what percentage of your time, thoughts, or efforts have you spent pursuing numbness, pleasure, everyday happiness and bliss?

Well, it varies. In one part of the recent years there was a different combination than in other part. So, I will give an average over the past 2 years as a whole then break into 2 other parts that I will explain. Over the last 2 years I'd say 40% numbness, 40% pleasure, 10% everyday happiness and 10% bliss. Some people do not have an experience of Bliss. I, however, do. I will get bliss waves out of a state of everyday happiness without a depressing trough, however they don't last. When I am on my stabilizing medication my true, everyday happiness increases. Without it is a flat out 24/7 numbness with acts of pleasure seeking in the middle but they are not even successful due to the suffering. Nowadays, my balance would be 50% everyday happiness, 10% Bliss, 15% numbness and 25% pleasure. I feel just knowing these different states now have a classification makes me much more aware of them.

• Do you feel that you might be spending too much time in any one area, especially at the pleasure or numbness end of the scale? Does it feel you are allocating the right amount of time - for you - to each pursuit?

Overall, I feel that I am spending too much time in both the pleasure and numbness area. Sometimes I feel like if I don't know what to do about something I do nothing, so I need to change that. Also there are times I feel stuck in life and I will procrastinate. During all of these time I'm in pleasure and numbness states of happiness. I am not satisfied with the amount I'm spending in each area.

• Do I want to change the amount of time I spend in each area? What are the right amount of time or energy allocation for you?

Yes I do. Ultimately I'd love to spend as much time as possible in Bliss. I'd give it 35% I'm wondering if it's possible to spend time in everyday happiness while also being in pleasure. It seems like yes. I suppose pleasure "seeking" is different. So based on pleasure and not pleasure seeking I'd say 25%. 10% on numbness since that is not very productive. Lastly, 30% on everyday happiness. It's really hard to say. For now, I'd probably leave pleasure in about the same zone because of it's relation to the other numbers. I think that as time goes on and I become more and more aware of where I'm at everyday I will come up with a perfect combination. It might take me a while too to learn how to exist in Bliss. In life right now I'm generally satisfied. I'm able to be happy everyday, have time for pleasurable things and learn about Bliss at the same time!