Zest

Positive psychologists say that zest is one of the five character strengths that contribute most to a sense of life-satisfaction.  (The other four are curiosity, gratitude, optimism, and the ability to love and be loved.)  If you’re looking for a way to increase your happiness, add some zest to your life.

Zest is defined as “a sense of expectation, intuition, hope, energy and excitement.”     The dictionary says that it’s gusto, liveliness or energy, the animating spirit.  Whooo-Hooooo!  Who couldn’t go for more of that!

In the strengths classification system developed by positive psychology founders Martin Seligman and Christopher Peterson, zest is equated with enthusiasm and falls under the virtue of transcendence.  People who possess zest/enthusiasm in a high degree, they say, “approach everything with excitement and see life as an adventure.”