Where does happiness fit into a global pandemic?

Recently my husband and I watched the film, Up in the Air, starring George Clooney as a professional corporate “downsizer.” The movie came out in December 2009, during the aftermath of the Great Recession.

It hit a tender nerve now as global unemployment rates spike due to COVID-19. The movie captures the pain of being fired — the sudden loss of security and dignity and the anxious uncertainty that follows.

To think of the millions of people experiencing this right now makes my heart cry.

But if you’ve seen the movie, you know it isn’t only about the doom and gloom of mass job loss.

It’s about how our relationships keep us afloat during challenging times.

As Clooney’s character learns, the key to life satisfaction is the quality of our relationships.

Studies show the same. In fact, the main conclusion of an 80-year project run at Harvard concluded, “warmth of relationships throughout life has the greatest positive impact on ‘life satisfaction.’”

In other words, your good relationships have the greatest positive impact on your happiness.

By the way, better relationships also lead to financial success. According to the same study, “those who scored highest on measurements of “warm relationships” earned an average of $141,000 a year more at their peak salaries (usually between ages 55 and 60).”

If you’re not actively creating great relationships, you’re missing out on a deep source of joy and fulfilment.

If you’re in a painful relationship, you can attest to the havoc it wreaks on your life — from your ability to concentrate at work to your physical health.

Yes, we are wired to connect with others. When the connections we build are strong, we feel great. When the connections are weak or broken, it’s deeply painful.

If happy successful relationships = happy successful life, what can you do to infuse happiness into your most precious relationships?

Luckily, there are infinite ways! Creating happy relationships is, of course, a life-long practice.

Though it’s not always easy.

You might sometimes forget how important the small gestures are, and how much they add up over time. You get so wrapped up in work and other priorities that you forget to call your mom. (GUILTY).

Or you might not be sure how to connect with someone in your life, because past attempts have failed. (BEEN THERE).

The truth is, if you have willingness to try new things in your relationships, and the intention to strengthen them, you’ll create positive results!

Right now, in the midst of a global pandemic, we must be there for each other. Now is the time to strengthen our bonds, lift each other up, and give each other the gift of joy.

It’s good for everyone. Every kind act, every person uplifted, has a ripple effect on entire communities.

The world could use it right now, don’t you think?