Alex Shalman . comPractical Personal Development

Dave Seah tends to write about four general areas: design, development, inspiration, and self-empowerment. He’s turned on by people making things and making positive changes in their life in the face of doubt and uncertainty.

Since he often finds himself in the position of uncertainty, he investigates and writes about productivity. In fact, Dave created some free tools for managing tasks and getting things done.

In terms of design, Dave categorizes himself as an “information architect specializing in data visualization and graphics.” Dave also considers himself an investigative designer, as he takes into account all factors, and then makes his design ‘make sense’ while catering to the motivation and desires of the people involved.

What’s most important to me, however, is to be around positive-minded, self-empowered, conscientious and kind people that value quality, competence, and reliability in their friends.

Now that’s a statement I think everyone could live with!

1. How do you define happiness?

I think it’s the flow between several life elements:

• a connectedness with people who matter to you
• finding a source of energy (like a hobby, a person, a job, cats…anything really)
• having the energy to put something back into the world that matters to you
• seeing that you did make some kind of difference in the world

Then there’s the sense of possibility and forward movement that’s important. For me, getting comfortable enough with myself to actually BE myself with the everyday people around me is a prerequisite to becoming MY BEST SELF.

2. On a scale of 1-10, how would you rate your happiness now, versus when you were a child?

I’m happier now, because I’m in more control of my environment and know myself well enough to actually do cool stuff. If my childhood was a “5″ (average), then I’m probably at around a 7 or 8 right now.

3. What do you do on a daily basis that brings you happiness? (and how consistent is the feeling of happiness throughout your day)

I talk to people, and I try to work through my blockages. I try to be genuine. I’m happiest when I see other people happy, so if I can do something that helps someone out, that contributes to “daily happiness”.

Consistency isn’t something I’ve thought of from an hour-to-hour perspective, though on reflection I’d have to say it is consistently even. Maybe too even.

I also have a list of things that unconditionally put me in a good mood. It’s a very short list, but it’s useful to have. For example, cats always put me in a good mood, and they fascinate me. I can’t think of a reason why this is, but it “just is”.

4. What things take away from your happiness? What can be done to lessen their impact or remove them from your life?

I believe in making one’s self strong enough to handle the bad situations that come your way, so that helps even out the bumps. I will get caught up sometimes in thinking that I “should” be more one way or another, or that there’s “something wrong” with the way I’m doing things and that’s why things aren’t working. I am basically an impatient person, and want changes sooner otherwise I get bored. Recognizing that there is no right way to live your life helps.

When I catch myself in a negative spiral, I set about identifying the source of unhappiness, define its parameters, ask myself “well is this actually going to kill me?” and if the answer is no, then I ask myself what IS important then, in the grand scheme of things. That helps me get by.

The most important thing for me, though, is to have good friends that I can talk to plainly and openly, knowing that I am not going to be judged by them. I don’t judge them, either. Having this kind of regular dialog is incredibly important to maintaining an even keel in stormy weather. I wouldn’t be where I am today without my friends.

5. What do you plan on doing in the future that will bring you even more happiness?

Be real with people and myself. Broadcast the vibes that I want to receive in kind. Keep my eyes open for opportunities, and be ready to move when they come.

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To get more info about what the Happiness Project is and isn’t, please visit the Introduction Post. To see a running list of all participants, which I will be updating as things happen, please visit the Happiness Project Page.