The ‘Happy Life’ Tricycle - Possible Steps to Fulfilment & Happiness

There’s a theory, (and you can take it or leave it, as with all ideas, only use them if they are useful to you) taught by a guy who lives in the Old City of Jerusalem (called Gutman Locks) who explains that in order for someone to be happy they need to have a balance of three things, and not in any particular order or hierarchy and they are: an income, relationship, and a spiritual or meaningful path.

We’ll call this ‘Gil’s Triangle’, he continues to explain that without one of these three, a person will never be truly happy, for example; someone who has an ‘Income’ and ‘Relationship’ but no ‘Spiritual path’ or ‘Meaningful goal’, will lack something.

Someone who has a ‘Spiritual path’ and a ‘Relationship’ but no ‘Income’ won’t be able to pay the bills etc. I’ll leave it to you to imagine the other scenarios, which also don’t lead to a ‘fulfilled’ and ‘happy’ life. All three are of equal importance and all three are needed for a real-deep-down sense of fulfilment and happiness.

You may want to take time to think about each area and possibly question the importance you give to one over the other. Ideally you should put an equal effort into each of these areas.

Definitions of terms Spiritual Path and/or Meaningful Goal: that you feel that your life has some purpose

Relationship: means a recognition of the Other, and a relationship with the other, whether this is an intimate relationship or on a more social level, or even the relationship you have with your dog or pet.

Job/Income: means that you have money coming in (or have savings) enough to live on and support your lifestyle, as well as actively participating in the outside world.