Founder of The Happiness Institute contemplates learning happiness through teaching happiness

Dr Tim Sharp, founder of The Happiness Institute , is always busy writing, speaking and doing all manner of Happiness Institute related activities and tasks. However, he also devotes some of his time to one of his greatest passions, which is coaching and providing therapy to others.

He says that it gives him so much happiness and satisfaction that although he might have a full schedule, he will still make time for these clients because it's so good for him. He concedes this notion might sound a tad selfish, and that maybe in a way, it is.

However, Dr Sharp explains that what is good for him is also good for others; because when he feels good, his best work will the result. It’s the old saying, “if you feel good, you do good.”

In addition to the feel good aspect though, Dr Sharp has found that when he is teaching others about happiness he is also learning about how to live the best life for himself. He claims that coaching and therapy work both ways, such that it is not only the clients who benefit.

Dr Sharp has learnt a lot from his clients, including recent golden nuggets such as:

• happiness is so good in so many ways
• happiness can be experienced in so many ways (from joy and excitement through to calm and satisfaction via toughness and resilience and so much more)
• helping others ultimately helps us too
• helping us often leads to helping others
• if only we could think more helpful and constructive thoughts more often (and not get sucked in to myths and misconceptions, unrealistic expectations and distorted beliefs) so many of us would be so much happier so much more often
• we can change
• we can improve; and
• we can achieve our goals and live healthier and happier lives.