True Happiness...

[admin]

How To Discover It

Everyone wants to be happy. They try to find it through having more money. Or they hope that everything will magically come together in the future that makes them ecstatically happy. Others look to find happiness through drinking and drugs.

But all these ideas of happiness are flawed since happiness can never be based on some external event or circumstance. Many people aren't happy because they look for something outside of themselves. They will only feel happy if they have the latest model car or own a 2500 square foot home with a three car garage and a plasma television in every room.

Many people are swayed by media advertising that says they can't find happiness unless they pay for it on credit. Just as soon as a new technological marvel hits the store shelves, everyone gets into a frenzy to line up down the street to get it. But that does not make them happy. Happiness is elusive since it's not understood. It is an ephemeral thing that can't be held like an iPod. It can't be chased.

But it is possible to find happiness and stay that way. It just requires a change in thinking habits.

Follow the Truth, Not the Lies. Society is based on lies, because it must lie if it is to make a profit. You must have something because your neighbor has it. But your neighbor has accepted the lies of physical wealth as his benchmark for happiness. So you must follow him. And so must your friend and their friends until the lie feeds on itself. That means that many act like lemmings, each following the other because they believe that someone at the head of the line knows what will make them happy. Fortunately, there are the few who do not buy into society's definition. They are happy as they don't feel pressured into buying into the group ego.

Happiness lies within. Happiness is a spiritual matter that can never be satisfied with material things. And happiness is as different from one person to the next. A few feel happy surrounded by the latest amenities and technological marvels. Yet others dispense with gadgetry and find happiness in the simplest pleasures. One thing is certain. Happy people live in the moment and for the moment. While they desire things as much as anyone else, they are not in a hurry to get them. They find time to watch a wonderful sunset or take great care to breed the best rose. They accept life for what it is and don't try to force happiness. They have learned to accept life and appreciate what they have.

Set goals to find happiness. While happiness is not based on physical possessions, it can be found through action. Many people experience joy in just doing what they love to do, not because they have to. Of course many have to work 40 hour work weeks to bring in a paycheck to pay the bills. But unless they are pursuing something that has meaning to them, they will only feel depressed, angry and resentful. Happiness comes from the act of achieving and not always when the goal is finally reached. Reaching a worthwhile goal does lead to a feeling of accomplishment. But no one stays happy for long once they've accumulated their first million dollars. We are creatures that need action to stay happy.

Remain positive. The world is full of violence. Disease is rampant. Many have given up on life, living it on a sub par level, relying heavily on government handouts and welfare programs. They sustain themselves on antidepressants or find comfort in alcohol or food. Happiness is a state of mind. Your level of joy is based on positive thoughts and good behavior. If you constantly look for the best of what the world has to offer, you will not only find it, but you will find peace and happiness too.

Personal Contact. Man is a social being. He can never be happy alone. Modern technology has one major fault. While email and cell phones are meant to help everyone stay in touch, they often do the exact opposite. They remove the personal touch. Having someone to share ideas or problems with on a face-to-face basis is more comforting and rewarding than texting by cell phone or email.

Real happiness comes from developing spiritual and mental maturity. There is no technology and no advertiser can offer up the way to true happiness. Finding happiness starts with you and it starts in the here and now.

[Jackie Simmons]

Thanks, I needed that today.