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A doctor who created the “happiness formula” has revealed a simple new way to assess your life satisfaction.
Alphonsus Obayuwana is a physician, scientist, and happiness coach who has spent three decades researching human hope and happiness.
He says that if you can say these six phrases with confidence, you will live a happier, more hopeful life than most.
Dr. Alphonsus Obayuwana says that if you can say these six phrases with confidence, you will live a happier, more hopeful life than most.
Obayuwana’s formula for happiness is hope ÷ hunger = happiness. This essentially means that the more hopeful and less hungry you are, the happier you will be.
But it doesn’t refer to hunger in the typical sense. This kind of hunger refers to “a compelling desire or craving for inclusion and recognition, intimacy and trusted companionship, food and comfort, information and answers, and continuity and certainty.”
Hope comes from having high self-esteem, solid human relationships, economic sufficiency, adequate knowledge and spiritual security.
To use the formula, you first need to measure hope and happiness. Obayuwana created a 12-question survey to help you do just that. It only takes five minutes to complete.
Once you have your hope and hunger scores, plug these values into the formula to calculate your personal happiness index.
If you want to further test your life satisfaction, try saying these six simple phrases out loud. If you can recite them confidently, you’re likely happier than the average person, says Obayuwana.
1. Generally speaking, I am an optimist.
If you identify as an optimist, that means you “habitually choose the most favorable interpretation of events and outcomes in the past, present, and especially the future,” Obayuwana wrote in an article for CNBC.
This means you probably have a high hope score and therefore a higher personal happiness index.
“For an optimist, the future is full of hope, while for a pessimist it is full of hunger or unfulfilled desires,” Obayuwana wrote.
What’s more, optimists tend to be more resilient than pessimists.
“When you fail to achieve a goal after several attempts, you try again and again. And if you determine that a goal is truly impossible to achieve, you modify it to keep hope alive,” Obayuwana wrote.
Some people are predisposed to optimism from the day they are born. Research has shown that the roots of optimism lie in our genes and that some people are hardwired to be more optimistic and positive.
But having an optimistic outlook on life is also a skill that can be learned. Challenging negative self-talk and replacing pessimistic thoughts with positive ones can help a person become more optimistic.
“You can learn to be more optimistic by observing and recognizing that good things happen and that anyone (including yourself) can make them happen,” Obayuwana wrote.
2. ‘I have something to offer other people’
This phrase represents a high degree of self-esteem and a strong belief in oneself, says Obayuwana.
Feeling that your life has a purpose, or that you have something meaningful to contribute to society or the people around you, means that you are an important member of your community.
“You matter and you belong,” Obayuwana wrote.
If this statement doesn’t resonate with you, maybe it’s time to identify your true calling or passion.
“The best way to develop this belief is to identify your true calling or passion: something you love to do and do very well,” Obayuwana wrote.
Your “true calling” can be anything. Maybe you’re not feeling fulfilled at work and want to explore other careers. Or maybe you want to do something more meaningful with your free time, like volunteering at an animal shelter or charity you believe in.
Filling your time with experiences that help you feel like a valued member of your community is key to living a happy life.
3. ‘I have someone I can count on’
Life is full of ups and downs. It’s important to know that you have people who support you in difficult times.
“All human beings have an innate desire for human connection,” Obayuwana wrote.
When you have someone you can rely on, especially in stressful emergency situations, it lessens your natural hunger for reliable companionship, she says.
Research has shown that good relationships are the most consistent predictor of a happy life. Humans are a social species, we need to connect with others to feel a sense of safety, security and belonging.
If you’re lacking strong relationships in your life, you can start expanding your social circle by doing things that make others smile, says Obayuwana.
“Send someone a note just because you’re thinking of them, give your neighbor a ride, congratulate a friend, or let the other driver go first,” he wrote.
These small acts of kindness can strengthen budding relationships and help you build a strong support system.
4. “When I need answers, I usually find them.”
Humans are born with a natural curiosity or “hunger” for new information and answers to our questions.
“When you believe that the answers to your questions are within reach, that hunger is mitigated and controlled. Simply understanding the ‘why?’ can lighten heavy burdens,” Obayuwana wrote.
Knowledge is a source of hope, he says. It strengthens self-esteem, self-confidence and courage.
Feeling like you can rely on your knowledge and ability to find answers to get through difficult or confusing times can ease fear and anxiety, Obayuwana says.
As the old saying goes, knowledge is power.
5. ‘When I think about what I have, I think I’m luckier than many.’
Practicing gratitude is essential to living a happy life. This phrase acknowledges how fortunate you are to have economic goods, such as money, food, shelter, and the financial and material comfort they provide, says Obayuwana.
He believes that when you value and appreciate what you have, the value of what you have instantly appreciates.
You’ve probably heard the phrase “comparison is the thief of joy.” When we constantly wish we had what others have, we don’t realize how rich our own lives are.
If you find it difficult to appreciate what you have, you can do small things each day to foster a feeling of gratitude, says Obayuwana.
It can be as simple as being a good steward of your assets. Making your bed, tidying your desk and saving water and electricity can serve as daily reminders of all you are lucky enough to have, she says.
You can also practice gratitude through mindfulness. Spending a few minutes each day counting your blessings can make a big difference.
6. “Trusting in something bigger than myself is reassuring.”
Practicing spirituality can reduce stress and anxiety, provide a sense of purpose, offer perspective, and make people more resilient in the face of life’s challenges.
Spirituality can refer to belief in God or another source of divine guidance, protection or oversight, but it doesn’t have to be that way, Obayuwana says. In fact, spirituality doesn’t have to be related to organized religion at all.
Your core beliefs, moral principles, ethical convictions, and virtuous practices are part of spirituality.
“At the end of the day, spirituality is about that drive to respond to the material needs of others, the motivation to do things even when they don’t directly benefit you, and the hope and satisfaction you get as a result,” he wrote.