Introduction

The dichotomy of hedonism and eudaimonia brings us to a more nuanced view of happiness, called subjective well-being. Quality-of-life researcher and professor of psychology Robert A. Cummins also asserted the concept of balance or a sense of homeostasis in mood as an important concept in well-being. In her foundational work, positive psychologist Sonya Lyubomirsky categorized three areas that determine our happiness: genetics, circumstances, and positive activity. The relationship between happiness and circumstances does seem to be more complex when viewed through the lens of life satisfaction. Motivated participants in the experimental group had greater gains in well-being in both the short- and long-term compared to unmotivated participants and controls. Furthermore, the amount of effort that participants put into the exercises was directly related to increases in well-being.