Centenary University Hosts Commencement Speaker Ben-Shahar Who Speaks About, “Happiness”

by Jeff Garrett

Ahappy occasion on a beautiful Spring day, but one filled with apprehension and trepidation no less, was made even happier for the class of 2023 on Saturday, May 6.

The University’s Arts and Social Work school graduates listened to their own Dr. Tal David Ben-Shahar speak at Commencement. The Ph.D, who’s taught at Ivy League universities before coming to Centenary, discussed how to embrace the positives people encounter in their lives and its daily importance. Ben-Shahar is the Director of the Master of Arts of Happiness Studies at Centenary.

Embracing suttle positives is not the easiest of endeavors for recent graduates as they find jobs, purchase homes and start families in challenging times. Squeezinghappiness in there isn’t easy, let alone, promised. But BenShalar provided optimism with his words of wisdom even challenging graduates to go out seek happiness wherever it comes, but especially in the world’s beautiful surroundings.

“When you take stock of something positive in your life, you feel better and as a result, bring more positivity to your environment,” said Ben-Shahar, an American and Israeli teacher and writer in the areas of psychology and leadership.

“Your environment, either in the way you treat others or others treat you or through your activities, reflects and boosts your positivity.

He added that one can define happiness as the overall feeling of pleasure and meaning; that a happy person can enjoy positive emotions if this person experiences life as something meaningful.

Citing a 2003 study by psychologists, on the issue of Gratitude, Ben-Shahar also mentioned that students turned graduates might really consider keeping a daily personal journal of sorts, and write down the things they felt were positive and made them happy, almost as if to “make them happier and physically healthier and more successful,” while providing an extra layer of calm to the inner-self perhaps. He added that even doing the ritual once-a-week has benefits.

Stressing urgency to experience for life’s simple pleasures, Ben-Shalar urged those about waiting anxiously to get their diplomas to touch, feel and smell things each day,“ to contact things physically, “as if their tactile sense,” would leave them, and they might not be able to do these things ever again.

Finally he asked, “why do so many fail to see the beauty within and without?”

He said that we are taught that the feeling of gratitude is merely not enough, that Society essentially demands more from us collectively.

Ben-Shalar is co-founder of the Happiness Studies Academy. He garnered national recognition when, at Harvard University 20 years ago, he taught a course on happiness. Ben-Shalar moved over to Columbia University for a stint and has appeared on several major networks. He is often called upon by national publications as an expert on the topic of Happiness.

Grateful and lucky undoubtedly, Centenary was in a great position this Spring to have such a meaningful message delivered to graduates from one of its own.

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