THE TRUTH ABOUT HAPPINESS, FIND IT BY KNOWING ONE THING
The truth about happiness? Let’s start with what happiness is. According to Dictionary.com, happiness is a state of being, of having good fortune, pleasure, contentment and joy. This definition seems adequate until you come to the words “Having good fortune.” You have to wonder, is that financial fortune or something else? And if it’s something else, then what? Something else could be the fortune of love, children, family, old age, a pleasant home. I could go on, but you get the point.
I don’t think the good fortune Dictionary.com is referring to is about any of the above options, but about money. That being said, I wonder if I really need a fortune(money) in order to be happy? I can understand contentment and joy, even pleasure, but a fortune?
I know many people equate happiness with money. In fact, search online and you discover that money is mentioned almost every time there is a reference to happiness. I don’t want to change anyone’s perception regarding the need for money, because the truth is you need it. It’s harder to find happiness if bill collectors have your number on speed dial, so yes, money has its relevance.
There is another view to consider. I truly believe there are individuals, couples, families, that’s able to define happiness for themselves, and money isn’t the contributing factor. Their lives are full and they are happy despite a bank balance that dwindles to zero each month. Not to mention the other multitude of problems that may exist in their lives. Their source of happiness has more to do with contentment, relationships, and perhaps personal choices. I would imagine that this is what Aristotle meant when he said:
“Happiness depends upon ourselves,” — Aristotle
One Truth About happiness? Take responsibility for your happiness
Aristotle’s metamorphic quote above signifies the one thing keeping us from happiness. Now that we know the truth about happiness, that it depends on ourselves, how do we choose to be happy? I love this list on the blog of marcandangel.com. The post offers ten ways to choose happiness. You can either choose to be happy or you can allow factors to stand in the way. It’s a choice we must be willing to make and the powerful words below symbolizes the choice and responsibility each of us need to embrace in order to choose happiness.
“We should refuse to live in a “suffering state” and instead choose to be happy every day by telling ourselves to find “creativity and gratitude or growth or joy in every moment.”
The words of Anthony Robbins. No truer words were ever said. He also suggests we should allow ourselves just 90 seconds in which to “suffer” each day. When that minute and a half is done, we should move on, returning swiftly to our primary goal — which is to be happy for the other 86,310 seconds of the day.
His suggestion may seem arduous, but you have to ask yourself, Is it worth it? The resounding answer is, yes. Find the commitment, the courage to connect with and embrace who you are. Choose to take responsibility for your contentment and do as Anthony Robbins suggests, and use the 90 second rule.
What interferes with happiness?
There are so many factors that can keep us from being happy. We all have an intrinsic idea of what happiness means, but there are factors that can stand in the way. Let’s highlight some of them:
Not being present in the here and now
Life has a tendency of causing us to always being in a planning mode. The business you are trying to run, the family vacation you are planning, we are always making lists and planning for tomorrow. While this tendency will never change for most of us, it’s important to take the time to center yourself each day and connect with the here and now. Meditation is a perfect tool to make this happen.
Fear and doubt
It’s part of the reason so many people have a hard time feeling the pleasure of happiness. There is a process we all must go through to get to our happy place, it involves facing those fears and doubts. It also involves accepting ourselves just as we are, flaws and all.
Your perception of life
It matters if you see a glass as half full or half empty. Pessimism or optimism can control the path of your life. If you choose to always be pessimistic, you will never see the benefits and gifts life offer. These offerings are sometimes standing directly in front of you, but pessimism controls your outlook.
If you choose to be optimistic, then you’ve chosen to be hopeful. You see opportunities and will work towards the positive aspects of your life. Here is another great quote. This one by Winston Churchill. He said:
“Optimists see opportunities in every difficulty.”
The process of happiness
Now that we know happiness depends on ourselves and other factors in our lives. It’s clear why so many of us are not always happy. While it is human nature to not always feel gleeful 24-7, It’s also not good to not experience some semblance of happiness sometimes. Some of us will go days and weeks without even a smile or a good laugh, much less to experience contentment.
The key to happiness is to not allows life and its ebbs and flow to keep us from Joie de vivre. Yes, happiness depends on ourselves – How we deal with the undulating factors in our lives contributes to whether you will have a genuine smile today.
The process start by throwing out the notion of equating happiness with something tangible, such a partner, or no lines at the supermarket. It begins by seeing happiness as something you can attain by choosing to commit to the goal of being happy.
