Cultivating Happiness Through Genuine Connections
By Tim Jack Adams
In a groundbreaking 85+ year study known as the Grant Study, conducted by Harvard University, it delved into the question: What truly makes us humans happy? After 75 years, unveiled a surprising truth, contrary to common beliefs, career achievements, money, exercise, or a healthy diet do not guarantee happiness. The resounding finding from 85 years of study is clear: Positive relationships keep us happier, healthier, and contribute to a longer life. In essence, the warmth of relationships provides life’s greatest satisfaction, simplifying the equation to ’love is happiness.’
While this may be evident to some, for others, it may evoke a range of emotions, from joy to pain, regret, sadness, and frustration, depending on individual circumstances. Reflecting on personal experiences with relationships, I can recall moments of utopian joy and happiness, intertwined with gut-wrenching pain, sadness, anger, and a loss that seemed insurmountable.
Relationships encompass the entire emotional spectrum. Sometimes we lean in, savoring love in a single breath, while other times, that same love prompts us to pack our bags. Relationships are undeniably complicated.
Defining a relationship extends beyond mere connections; it involves profound, intimate bonds with those we care about, be it partners, family, or close friends. Some relationships carry a deeper impact than others. Personally, my wife Carly is my deepest relationship, followed by my two kids Sonny and Frankie, my Mum, siblings, and best friends. Their emotions affect mine profoundly because I love and care for them.
If you’re reading this and feeling lonely, you’re not alone. Loneliness is the fastest-growing epidemic in Australia, with up to 48% of people in relationships citing feelings of isolation. The remedy? Time. Despite spending over 40 hours a week on screens in Australia, what we often neglect is the most crucial aspect of our wellbeing: positive human connections.
A positive human connection creates value, meaning, and belonging, fostering self-worth that translates into self-love—the cornerstone of a healthy relationship with oneself and a positive influence on others. Unfortunately, society has flipped priorities, with many investing more time impressing people on social media than nurturing real relationships.
To address the loneliness epidemic, we must lean into genuine relationships by initiating deeper conversations, even if initially painful. Loneliness can be as detrimental as smoking 15 cigarettes a day, making it crucial to prioritize authentic connections.
In 2017, we created ’Play for your Life,’ a card game through GreenX7, aiming to facilitate deeper conversations and self-improvement. I’m proud of its impact and wish to share it with the Tweed community.
I’m offering a free 60-minute event to equip you with tools for creating value, meaning, and belonging in your relationships. Scan the QR code to register. In the meantime, try this: In your next conversation, imagine the person in front of you is the most important in the world, and let the conversation be the sole focus. Be 100% present.
Tim Jack Adams is a thought leader and speaker in the Wellness Industry and has created an overarching framework for wellbeing that enables leaders, teams and organisations to thrive sustainably.
He and his team have made it their mission to ’measure and improve Australia’s wellbeing’ and wants the Tweed to lead the way in nature based social prescribing, inspiring a prevention before prescription lifestyle.
You can connect with Tim at: tim@greenx7.com
