Article written by
Eva Gregory, CPCC
Happiness is often thought of as a state of mind. This assumption is both right and wrong. It is right because when you are happy, you usually have happy thoughts in you mind. You have a positive outlook and your mood is generally elevated. Your outlook on life is one of hope and abundance.
I started by saying the assumption that happiness is a state of mind is both right and wrong. How can it be wrong? If it were just a state of mind, you should be able to will yourself happy at anytime? You should be able to go through life with an eternal smile upon your face, just by willing yourself to be that way. Logically, this does not make sense.
When you have some tragedy befall you in life, you will feel emotions such as sadness, despair, fear or anger. It is not possible to just feel happy. Have you ever heard someone say, Stop being depressed, just be happy. So while, happiness is part of the equation, it is not the whole equation. There must be something more.
What I propose is that happiness is a state of BEING. This has to do with perception. You mind constantly gathers information about it environment through your physical senses. Your perception of sight does not exist in your eye it exists in your mind. Your brain takes electrical impulses and translates them to sensory information.
The next thing that your mind does is evaluate that information. Is it a good sensation? A bad sensation? Does the smell of cookies unlock a memory of childhood? It is our perceptions of our environment that elicit certain emotions. These perceptions are unique to the individual.
For instance, suppose the smell of cookies makes you think of home and the holidays. It can be a positive emotion such as happiness that can occur. But let us suppose that it reminds you of your grandmother, who recently passed away. The same sensation can create a feeling of loss and sadness.
If you can change your perception of the world into a positive one, then you can unlock sustaining happiness. Sure, there are moments in life that do not make us happy. If you exist in a state of happiness, other emotions such as sadness will not be so deep and enduring. You will return to your state of happiness much quicker if you cultivate it.
As I am writing this, I am reminded of the monks in Tibet. They spend their entire life, living in a state of happiness and contentment. When you see pictures of the Dali Llama he is usually smiling. If you know anything about the situation in China right now, there are plenty of things for the monks to be afraid of, yet they pray and continue in a state of happiness.
For most of us, meditating and praying all day may not be possible, however when you have moments that can be filled with these things, then you shift towards enduring happiness can occur. Take a few moments each day and think about all the things that you are thankful for. Hold these images in your mind and bask in their glow. Even as the images fade, the feeling will continue to exist in your heart.
(C) 2008 Leading Edge Coaching
" Photographer: Agency: Dreamstime.com"
See Eva's Blog: Law of Attraction In Action with Eva
Thursday, July 17, 2008
Wednesday, July 2, 2008
PURSUIT OF HAPPINESS
Article written
by Eva Gregory, CPCC
With International Happiness Day quickly approaching, it made me think about our right to be happy. In the United States Constitution is the right to pursue happiness. I think this is a noble idea, but if that were true why does it seem that some many people are having such a hard time finding it?
If we are pursuing happiness, that means that it must exist somewhere outside ourselves. In this scenario, our life is a treasure hunt, always trying to find that elusive happiness. We have a general idea of what happiness will be like when we find it. We base this feeling upon our experiences; Christmas morning, birthday parties, our first kiss and our wedding day. We can remember how wonderful it felt to be happy.
The truth is that a person can go through a whole life - birth to death - looking for happiness. They can think that it will always be around the next corner. When they get that new job or some other life changing event occurs, happiness seems to be elusive. It is not how they imagined the prize to be and they continue to pursue happiness.
As International Happiness Day grows closer I wanted to let you in on a secret so that you can totally appreciate what this day is all about. Happiness is not something to be pursued. You already have it. It was given to as a gift the day you were born. You experienced it the first time when you gazed upon your mothers face for the first time.
Happiness exists within each of us. So if there is any pursuit, it is an inward journey. It is waiting within your heart. Some people miss this point when they are pursuing their goal in life. They think that if they get that new car, or larger house that these things hold the final key to their happiness. While these goals are wonderful pursuits and may make a person feel good accomplishing them, they must have unlocked happiness from within.
Can people be truly happy at any point in their life’s journey? Absolutely! Since happiness is something that is contained within you, no one can take it away from you. You can give it away and share it with others, but it never is truly used up. It just fills back up within your soul.
So how can people access this happiness? Part of the key is memories. To remember what it feels like to be happy can bring that feeling in the present. When you close your eyes and think of some event in your past that made you feel blissful, you will find a smile will form on your face automatically.
The other part of the key to unlock happiness is living in the moment. You must live in the NOW. Many things can happen tomorrow or may have even happened yesterday, but you are living right now in this moment. As you focus on the immediate moment, you can create a happy moment. You can CHOOSE to be happy. When you can be in the moment, you can access your right to be happy.
I hope that you will celebrate International Happiness Day. You can learn more at http://www.InternationalHappinessDay.com
See Eva's Blog: Law of Attraction In Action with Eva
by Eva Gregory, CPCC
With International Happiness Day quickly approaching, it made me think about our right to be happy. In the United States Constitution is the right to pursue happiness. I think this is a noble idea, but if that were true why does it seem that some many people are having such a hard time finding it?
If we are pursuing happiness, that means that it must exist somewhere outside ourselves. In this scenario, our life is a treasure hunt, always trying to find that elusive happiness. We have a general idea of what happiness will be like when we find it. We base this feeling upon our experiences; Christmas morning, birthday parties, our first kiss and our wedding day. We can remember how wonderful it felt to be happy.
The truth is that a person can go through a whole life - birth to death - looking for happiness. They can think that it will always be around the next corner. When they get that new job or some other life changing event occurs, happiness seems to be elusive. It is not how they imagined the prize to be and they continue to pursue happiness.
As International Happiness Day grows closer I wanted to let you in on a secret so that you can totally appreciate what this day is all about. Happiness is not something to be pursued. You already have it. It was given to as a gift the day you were born. You experienced it the first time when you gazed upon your mothers face for the first time.
Happiness exists within each of us. So if there is any pursuit, it is an inward journey. It is waiting within your heart. Some people miss this point when they are pursuing their goal in life. They think that if they get that new car, or larger house that these things hold the final key to their happiness. While these goals are wonderful pursuits and may make a person feel good accomplishing them, they must have unlocked happiness from within.
Can people be truly happy at any point in their life’s journey? Absolutely! Since happiness is something that is contained within you, no one can take it away from you. You can give it away and share it with others, but it never is truly used up. It just fills back up within your soul.
So how can people access this happiness? Part of the key is memories. To remember what it feels like to be happy can bring that feeling in the present. When you close your eyes and think of some event in your past that made you feel blissful, you will find a smile will form on your face automatically.
The other part of the key to unlock happiness is living in the moment. You must live in the NOW. Many things can happen tomorrow or may have even happened yesterday, but you are living right now in this moment. As you focus on the immediate moment, you can create a happy moment. You can CHOOSE to be happy. When you can be in the moment, you can access your right to be happy.
I hope that you will celebrate International Happiness Day. You can learn more at http://www.InternationalHappinessDay.com
See Eva's Blog: Law of Attraction In Action with Eva
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