Focus on and strive to ensure that all stakeholders are happy and enjoy their involvement in and interactions with the organization.
Happiness is a positive emotion that leads to life satisfaction and, in addition to being momentary, endures over time. Eysenck (the psychologist) defines happiness as follows: Happiness is the sum of painless pleasures, peace of mind, and inner satisfaction.’
Happiness is divided into two categories: Sensory and fleeting joys’ and ‘authentic and enduring joys.’ Life satisfaction aligns more closely with authentic, lasting joy, and by ‘happiness’ in children’s education we expressly mean not short‑lived or superficial pleasures, but deeper forms of joy such as learning, discovery, and a sense of wonder. One of the hallmarks of authentic pleasure is an awareness of the constructive and purifying role of suffering and hardship. In counterfeit, inauthentic joy, a person seeks to escape difficulty and grasp pleasure as much—and as quickly—as possible; but a true cultivator of happiness understands that authentic joy arises through active engagement in the process… Engaging in the flow of life—and inevitably embracing hardship and suffering—is the challenge.
