I couldn’t bring myself to post something about happiness on Wednesday after writing about the death of Sen. Kennedy, but I did think about it alot. And mostly what I thought was this: Why do we often sabotage our own happiness?

For instance, I know through experience that exercise makes me happy. The problem is, it doesn’t make me

Clipart from clipartheaven

happy until about 20 minutes into a 40 minute workout. Before that time, staying in bed feels so much better. Staying in bed doesn’t, in the long run, make me happier, but it feels better than those first 15 minutes of pulling on my workout clothes, brushing my teeth, and getting to the gym or out on the sidewalk. (This goes back to the difference between happiness and pleasure, which I’ve discussed before.)

So sometimes, I just don’t go. Even though I KNOW it will make me happier once I’m done exercising. Being with people makes me happy, but being with people usually involves driving way out from Oro Valley into Tucson because the people I like most live near the UA or in southeast Tucson and, I don’t get pleasure from driving. So my immediate pleasure/comfort gets in the way of my long term happiness. (more…)