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75-year Harvard study reveals the secret to a fulfilling life
Everyone wants a fulfilling life. After all, who wants to reach the end of their years and look back with regret?
But, what’s the secret to true happiness? Is it how much money you make, how respected you are in your community, or how much you gave back? Or, is it something else?
Well, the results from a 75 year Harvard study may have the answer…
What’s your priority?
Yep, you read that right! This research lasted a full 75 years so it isn’t some flash-in-the-pan study you can ignore.
In fact, the researchers began collecting and analyzing data before WWII and the full study required several generations of researchers to complete the work.
The study, known as the Grant and Glueck study, tracked 456 poor men growing up in Boston between 1939 and 2014 as well as 268 male graduates from Harvard’s classes of 1939-1944. The team looked at blood samples, brain scans, and self-reported surveys as well as direct interactions with participants to determine what factor had the most significant effect on their physical and emotional well-being.
So, what was the secret?
“The clearest message that we get from this 75-year study is this: Good relationships keep us happier and healthier. Period,” said Robert Waldinger, director of the Harvard Study of Adult Development.
And, there you have it…
It’s not how much you’ve stocked away in your bank account. It’s not how important your job title is. It’s not even whether or not you’ve spent your life helping those less fortunate than you (although that’s always a great goal).
The secret to a truly fulfilling life is your relationships and the love that comes with them.
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Quality is key
This doesn’t mean that the more friends you have the better or that you have to be married.
On the contrary, according to Waldinger, “It’s not just the number of friends you have, and it’s not whether or not you’re in a committed relationship. It’s the quality of your close relationships that matter.”
Deep relationships that allow you to be vulnerable help you to relax, preserve your brain health and decrease the emotional and physical pain you feel.
As Waldinger says, “The good life is built with good relationships.”
But, the researchers also discovered one more important fact…
Read: Does your happiness quota add up to disease or longevity?
You can’t just embrace love to lead a fulfilling life, you also have to keep it.
As George Vaillant, the Harvard psychiatrist who directed the study from 1972 to 2004, puts it, when it comes to a fulfilling life, there are two elements required, “One is love. The other is finding a way of coping with life that does not push love away.”
In other words, you can’t allow life’s challenges, like the loss of a loved one or employment problems, to separate you from the ones you love. Instead, hold tight to your relationships to preserve the connection and enhance your life.
The results are undeniable… The secret to a fulfilling life is love – not money, success, power or even good health but just good old fashioned love.
Source:
By Dr. Adria Schmedthorst
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