365 Days With Self-Discipline: 365 Life-Altering Thoughts on Self-Control, Mental Resilience, and Success

—Mark Wheeler

 

54

Science suggests that the fleeting happiness you get from succumbing

to a temptation is inferior — at least when it comes to its effect on how your

genes express — to the type of happiness you can draw out of a sense of

purpose and meaning in life.

According to the study, a person guided by a deep sense of purpose is

less likely to suffer from inflammation and more likely to have a stronger

immune  system.  While  both  types  of  happiness  can  generate  the  same

positive emotions, it’s those with high levels of eudaimonic well-being that

benefit more .

Since  the  results  come  from  a  study  on  just  80  participants,  we

shouldn’t  treat  the  conclusions  as  a  broadly-applicable  scientific  fact.

However, there’s definitely immense power in having a mission in your life.

When all of your decisions are aligned toward a better future (even if

you’re suffering at times because things don’t go as planned or it’s hard to

maintain self-discipline), you wake up fired up, with vigor and a sense of

purpose you’d never get if you were to prioritize hedonic well-being.

---