Happiness: It Is Not What You May Think About

Who does not want to be happy? Nobody; we are all desperately waiting for happiness. Another question: who knows what happiness is? Nobody, I guess. Then why do we want to be happy if we do not know what happiness is exactly?

A boy went to a market to buy apples; he was a schoolboy at the time. He would listen up his mother's advice and respect every word uttered through her mouth. When he went to a market, he came across a salesperson. The salesperson had a number of fruits. When the boy saw the fruits, he could not believe his eyes; he was somehow confused by the similarities of the fruits. He was particularly looking for apples, but the salesperson had a number of apples, which made it difficult for his choice. After wondering for a while, he bought two pounds of red apples because he thought that red apples are the ordinary ones that most people would prefer to buy. He went home, but his mother did not approve it. She stared at him puzzled for a couple of minutes.

"What is wrong mother?" the boy asked.

"Have you lost your mind?" she reacted.

"I am sane and applied my best knowledge when I bought it," he answered politely.

"These are not apples; they are Ping-Pong balls; I did not know that you started eating plastic balls," she shocked him.

This is the situation in the pursuit of happiness. We think we know what happiness is, but unfortunately we eat counterfeit happiness. A mistake or ignorance is always alright and natural too, but learning to negate it, is absolutely optional; nobody will force you to learn and become wise. Happiness is not an emotional wellness or contentment, but rather wisdom.

Age is compulsory, but wisdom is option.

-Carroll Bryant

A dog knows only one owner in life; it does not change an owner whatsoever. It does not matter for a dog whether its owner is kind or cruel; just ownership forever. If the owner is kind, both the dog ad owner enjoy a wonderful companion, whereas if the owner is cruel, the dog suffers too much and cannot go against; after all he is his owner.

Back to us: Who is our owner? Are we owned or owners? This is a million dollar question we should ask before setting off a pursuit of happiness. We are no more dogs; we are well equipped; we got everything: science, knowledge, wisdom, philosophy and people, among others. As a personal advice, I would promote folks to look within and find out where one is chained. That is the beginning of liberation; otherwise freedom. If one does not know, where he or she is imprisoned, it may take an eternity to be liberated. I am not talking about a particular geographical jail, but rather who raised you up; what fed you mentally or simply who introduced you to life at the very beginning of your curiosity or exploration? Questions are dry, but they are the ones that lead us to water or heaven, and thus ask question after question. If you are afraid of asking questions, I do not think there will be a messiah to liberate you. Even if there is a messiah, he needs your cooperation or willingness in this matter to liberate you.

https://ezinearticles.com/?Happiness:-It-Is-Not-What-You-May-Think-About&id=10224050

Path to Happiness (Be Yourself)

Before I begin to share my knowledge and experience in this, I want to make it clear that I am not a highly learned individual, nor am I a reincarnation of such beings who has limitless wisdom throughout many lifetimes. This disclaimer is important, because the article is about the real you, and not someone who you'd want to be. In modern society, the scholars and pundits preach that, you should NEVER show your weakness or admit that you don't know. They consider it as a weakness and that you are setting yourself up for a failure from the beginning. But that's different in the philosophy that I practice. In my case, we were always taught to present yourself as inferior to the next person (perception is not reality), to show respect to all beings, to learn as much as you can to be better, so you can help limitless sentient beings. The danger of acting like you know everything, is that some in today's world will take it too far and stop learning. That's when it could become a tragedy. When reality sink in, and they realize that they are no better than the next person, or that they aren't well liked by others, then they resort to unimaginable things, which is a discussion for another topic. So we need to be honest with ourselves and be who we are, in order to find happiness.

So who am I and what is it that I'd like to share with you? I am a simple person just like your friends, who just happened to practice love, compassion, tolerance, un-attachment and contentment in my everyday life, to live a simple, happy, and a contented life. Over the past 40 years, I have learned to follow and practice those principles; while making mistakes, and correcting them. The goal is to become just a little smarter, happier, and more compassionate in my everyday life. I still make "unintentional" mistakes here and there, but doing my best to correct them, with remorse, and try not to repeat them again. It's like climbing a ladder of truth, without supervision. This is the foundation of seeking happiness. You need to be you, and you need to be honest with yourself. If you can't do that, then you need to be a good actor to deceive yourself, and people around you; and constantly be the person that you really aren't. That's an extremely difficult job. It's just a matter of time. Either you'll fail at it someday or someone will expose the real you and the real truth. Then instead of finding happiness, you create your own sorrow.

So what do you do, when pain and suffering strikes? How can you be you, and still tackle suffering and find happiness? How can you find happiness without pretending to be someone else? We know the easiest thing to do in such situation is to resolve to external things, beauty, and pleasure. But those are all temporary fixes to a non-temporary situation. Some advice others to renounce themselves, and take on another life, another name, and be someone else to find happiness. Some do it voluntarily to leave the self behind and become a completely different identity, with the hope that they'll leave the sorrow and pain behind as well. This is extremely dangerous. If my brother was having a difficult time in life, I wouldn't suggest him to change his name to Bill Gates, and act like Bill Gates, try to follow some religion or faith, and act like that is the savior. It's a very dangerous path that you lead someone into. Out of 1 million people who follow such advice, only 10 individuals may come out on the other side a little happier and more knowledgeable in dealing with suffering. Rest of the 999,990 will fail in such conversion and acting. This will lead to many devastating results. You may lose your family, friends, career and your precious time of your life pretending to be someone else. Worst case scenario, when you come back to the reality, would you be able to handle the reality of life again? Reality of life is Joy, Suffering, Happiness, and Pain. It's part of life. There's no escaping from that. All that glitters is not gold. You may see and envy people in power or people with money living an extravagant life. All you see is what's on the outside. You do not see their mental stress and problems. They go through the exact same joy, happiness, pain, and suffering in their life and their family's lives as we do. You need to understand that. So you can't be envious of other's glamour on Instagram or on TV. In most cases, this is exactly what they wanted you to see. Who in the world will showcase their family, business, and career problems on Instagram and TV? No one will do that. But everyone has these own issues in one form or the other. So there's no point in envying them, renouncing your life for someone else's. It won't bring you the eternal happiness.

So then how can you find the true happiness by being who you are? To practice this, you first need to come to terms with the reality of life. Reality of life is not all happiness and all fun, as mentioned before. It also has the negative side to it, which is pain and sorrow. After we accept the reality of life, then we need to find out how to avoid them, followed by how to deal with them as they come or arise. A lot of our problems are self-made. Of course those who cannot accept such statement will always find others to blame for the problems they "unintentionally" created in the first place. Let's take a simple example of stress in a business world. For a sales guy, stress in business is usually a result of not achieving the sales goals. Now the goals are set by us, humans. So you see where it's going? This is closely tied with our inability as a society to understand and practice contentment. In most cases, if you have made a decent profit in business, you shall celebrate. Now, due to our greed, we set high sales goals, and every day of our life, when we don't make that goal, we become sad and stressed. In all these days, the business is making profit, and can still function. But the only reason we are not satisfied is because of the high bar we created for ourselves. So such is a simple example of how our stress and problems are created. This is why I say that most of our stresses and issues are man-made or self-made. Now when such stress continue on a daily basis, the sales person will go home and show this unhappy attitude at home to wife and children as well. In process, he's making them all miserable. And is all caused by the human greed and not practicing contentment. There is a legitimate reason for us to feel sad, and that is when we don't succeed in business. This means, when the business is not making profit, then it's a legitimate cause for concern. In such problem, there are other solutions, which we can talk about another time. But in this example, the cause of our self-made stress is greed and our inability to practice contentment.

There are many more example of these problems that we create for ourselves in our daily lives, in many different professions. But today I just wanted to focus on finding happiness by being true to yourself and accepting the realities of life first. Always remember that the key to happiness is not located anywhere else in the world, but in your own heart. Sometimes we think money solves problems. No, trust me. Money brings temporary relief in some practical cases, but the problems of life will still be with us. So we need to be true to ourselves, in our abilities, and most importantly, we need to always find ways to better ourselves, so we can understand the true causes of our problems, and we strive to find solutions to each one of them.

May my observations and experiences help you in finding and identifying the causes of your various stresses and dealing with them in the most appropriate manner. Everything takes time. So learn by your mistake, and try not to make the same mistake again, which will eliminate one problem and stress at a time.

https://ezinearticles.com/?Path-to-Happiness-(Be-Yourself)&id=9925504

Finding Contentment in a Chaotic, Confused Life

In a season of reflecting over the fiftieth anniversary of Dr Martin Luther King Jr's passing, there is a stark image presented by the man himself as he speaks to students from Glenville High School in Cleveland, Ohio, on March 31, 1968 - five days before he was assassinated.

Dr King recounts a story of riding the school bus in the segregation era, having to sit on the back of the bus, the white children sitting at the front. He recalls placing his mind on the front seat and promising himself that his body would be there one day.

That's a passion unbound by the circumstances with which he was presented. He crystallised this following concept in his being:

No army can withstand the strength of an idea whose time has come."

- Victor Hugo (1802 - 1885)

Dr King refused to be identified as someone lesser than someone else. He proves the possibility that we, in our minds, can transcend the milieus we find ourselves in. The mind is unimaginably powerful; invincible when it's indwelt with the thrust of integrity and virtue.

When our mind insists on being held by a vision, no matter how lofty, the heart is encouraged. And when the heart is encouraged, faith, as a process, is inevitable. When faith walks forward with feet adorned with the shoes of courage, it's the forerunner of an anointed destiny.

If we live a life that is full to the brim to the overflowing, we don't resent it. Bitterness only spurns a hope that could otherwise be chosen. If pressures fill our lives, we must live as if change will inevitably come. If it is loneliness, we trust it won't always be that way. If it is grief, we know the sun must rise on some soon horizon. Confusion and chaos may be our present location, but contentment amid such noise assures us of a peace-laden destination.

Contentment begins in the mind resolved to choose hope in the mirage of despair.

https://ezinearticles.com/?Finding-Contentment-in-a-Chaotic,-Confused-Life&id=9918422

10 Things I've Learned From Being a Mediator

I'm lucky that I've had so much training and experience mediating issues between others. It's impossible to be a part of the mediation community for so long and not learn a thing or two about oneself in the process. So, I'm going to share, in no particular order of importance, 10 things I've learned along the way.

1) Gossip is boring. I don't mind people sharing updates about family or friends with me, but when it turns into a conversation that has too many oohs, ahs, and smirky faces, I'm out. My threshold for listening to someone jabber on about others is low because I have learned that if they talk about other people like that, they probably talk about me like that. No thanks.

2) Everyone cares about something so much that they'll do crazy stuff to defend it. In the world of mediation those things are called core values. But, without going into too much detail about them, I now know that when someone reacts to a small situation in a big way, it's because something they value is being threatened. And now, rather than jump back at them, I'm curious to find out what that "something" is.

3) I don't have to like you. I struggled for years trying to find the good in others, feeling guilty for being too critical of some people, and beating myself up for not making more of an effort with difficult folks. Now? I'm good not to like every single person on the face of the planet.

4) I don't have to fix everything. It's okay, and I mean okay, for me to let other people work out their own issues on their own timeline. I'll just be over here focusing on my own life, thank you.

5) Everyone is a mess. I read a quote once that said something like, "everyone has a life and no one gets out of it", meaning that every one of us experiences sad, bad, and lousy events that mess with us. We all have issues and we're all trying to mask them, deal with them, or sometimes share them in the most inappropriate ways.

6) I can work things out when I'm ready. It's okay to lick to my wounds, think about things, vent to my trusted confidants, wait a while, think about things some more, and then resolve issues with others. It doesn't have to be on anyone else's timeline if it doesn't feel right for me.

7) Giving space to others doesn't mean I'm giving up. If I'm willing to give myself the time and space to think things through, it's certainly okay for me to do that for others. Everything doesn't have to happen right here, right now.

8) Sometimes it's not possible. Mental health issues, addictions, and things greater than all of us really can, and do, get in the way of mending relationships.

9) I truly can be happier walking away. After so many failed attempts to build a relationship that feels authentic and genuine, it's okay for me to let it go. I mean really let it go. I've discovered that the empty feeling I thought would be there is actually a space that gets filled with contentment and peace.

10) I can think whatever nasty thoughts I want. Over the years I've become much better at editing my critical thoughts about others. I've also become much, much better at editing how those thoughts sound when they exit my mouth. But, there are those days when I give myself permission not to edit anything rolling around in this brain of mine. I've learned that I can think whatever I want about whomever I want and that doesn't make me a bad person. In fact, last I checked, it makes me human.

http://ezinearticles.com/?10-Things-Ive-Learned-From-Being-a-Mediator&id=8778698

Finding Happiness Is Easy (By Debra Burhite)

This article is about finding happiness. Searching for happiness is a hard thing to do nowadays. So much going on in this world of the negative nature it is hard to find the contentment and peace of mind we all crave. Every person in this world wants it but sometime it is so elusive it is hard to find and keep.

I was one of those people craving it but not finding it since I lived most of my life in abusive relationships. Living in negativity it is hard to find happiness until you let that negative person, place or thing out of your life for good. I had an abusive adopted mom and was married to an abusive husband. I was following their path of destruction. This was not the type of abuse that most people think not physical abuse but was emotional and mental abuse which drags you down until you feel like nothing. Physical abuse can be seen and felt quickly the emotional or mental abuse can drag on for years bringing you down farther and farther everyday into the abyss.

I had no self-esteem anymore. I did not feel worthy of even living the life I wanted. They made me feel like I did not matter and my life was of a slave to their every whim. I lived the life they wanted which brought me down even further into the darkness. I had no choice I was stuck and miserable. Everyday was a chore just to get out of bed to even survive. I started to develop illnesses and this whole ordeal was affecting my health. I knew I had to do something or I would die within their grasp. It took me years but finally got out of both relationships. I divorced myself from both relationships. I had it out verbally with them both at first and went complete no contact with them from then on.

I prayed for love, happiness and peace everyday. My life after leaving them was lonely and I felt so isolated from family but later I felt good about me and what I had done. I just knew it was the right thing for me plus my health improved too. I realized I did not need either one of them. I did not need anyone that treated me badly and did not respect my feelings or wants. I finally got my freedom to be who I wanted and do what I wanted too. It was so freeing. I felt alive again.

My challenge now was to find the happiness I have craved for so many years. I made some mistakes like thinking I needed a man to love me and to make me happy. I dated and all I would find was losers. When I gave up I realized being single was not all that bad, kinda love it actually. I found that happiness was within you not outside of you. I found the love for myself. I even found the peace and contentment that I never had before. It took me a few years to find the love, happiness and peace that I had prayed for. I had a plan to find these things and was determined to see them through.

First off I stopped dating and searching to find a man to satisfy me. A man can not make me happy I had to find that by myself first before I could find happiness with someone else.

Second I started taking care of me and my health. Doing the right things to get me healthy. Taking time out just for me. I had lots of "me" time. This was finding love for myself.

Third I got rid of all the negative people and surrounded myself with the positive ones. I had to move again to new location to find new friends and they became my new family. This was getting rid of the negative in my life.

Fourth I smiled a lot even tho I did not want to. I did it even on my painful days I smiled and tried to make my days better. This was very hard to do for me.

Fifth I started doing activities for my building something I wanted to do. I do not get paid money but the payment I do get is kindness and appreciation for what I do. I do feel like I am giving back to others by doing this for them. This is finding the vocation you love and doing it.

Sixth I meditated and prayed a lot. This helped me to find peace of mind.

Seventh I was grateful for what I had not what I did not have. This made me content and appreciated what I did have. After doing all seven of these for years I have finally found the love for myself, the peace of mind and the happiness I have craved so much. Happiness is possible If I can find it so can you.

Here are 47 pointers on finding happiness:

1. Rise early and Shine embrace the morning

2. Less is more, be mindful of stress

3. Pace yourself, do what you can but do not overdo

4. Be patient, patience is a virtue

5. Reach out to your inner being and be compassionate

6. Search for your true passion and stick to it

7. Exercise regularly

8. Healthy food mean happy life

9. Relax and meditate

10. Be organized in your own way

11. Be positive, do not fall let yourself fall into a pit of desperation

12. Make your finances simpler

13. Simpler life is a happier one

14. Consider what you have and accept it

15. See the picture of the perfect life

16. Have long-term goals in your mind

17. Think about your mission in this life

18 Consider what big task you have in this week or for the day

19. Stay focused

20. The journey is half the fun, remember to enjoy it

21.Follow your own personal morning and evening routine

22. Have deep, meaningful and profound relationships

23. Pay your debts

24.Remember to enjoy the little pleasure in your life

25. Have an empty inbox and a clean desk

26. Have an emergency fund

27. Write in a journal on a daily basis

28. Rely on the people around you

29. Extend your knowledge by reading, read to others

30. Take care of what kind of information you internalize

31. Do not forget to relax

32. Your life is happening now not yesterday not tomorrow

33. Build yourself a fort of equanimity

34. Take time to bond with your family and love ones

35. Be your own hero

36. Stop comparing yourself to others

37. Keep in mind benefits are important not difficulties

38. Don't forget about romance

39. Pick your battle and learn how to lose

40. Enter the flow

41. Frugality is the answer

42. Small and Slow but efficient

43. Find a way to deal with detractors

44. Spend your time outdoors

45. Stop and enjoy the little things

46. Get lazy sometimes

47. Offer your help to those in need

Try to do all of these points and I am sure you will find the love, happiness and peace you crave for.

http://ezinearticles.com/?Finding-Happiness-Is-Easy&id=9647214

The Perils Of Comparison (By Tim Connor)

I can't tell you how many people I have met during my world travels when only after a few minutes of conversation they started comparing themselves to someone or something else. A competitor, a celebrity, a fellow employee or even someone they didn't even know.

Why do we need personal validation by comparison? Why do we need to feel better or worthier than others? And why can't we accept who we are, what we have accomplished, our flaws and mistakes, our failures and disappointments without the ego's need to compare and look better than others?

As a global speaker for many years I have observed this trait is especially true of many people in my profession, but believe me - we are not unique. I can't tell you how many business people I have met who have to tell some story about who they are better than, smarter than and/or more accomplished than others they know and even those they don't know in some way.

Trust me - you don't have to be the smartest, best looking, wealthiest or most famous person in the room to feel good about yourself. So why are so many people stuck in this comparison mode whether subtly or overtly "in your face"? 

Not to brag here (that is not my intent) but I want to make a simple statement - during my career as an international bestselling author (over 80 books) and a global speaker (25 countries) my intent and goal was never fame and let me state that I have been very successful in achieving this goal. Go ahead laugh.

Life is not about what others think of you or you think of others. And if it is - trust me you will never find contentment, inner peace or happiness because there will always be someone out there smarter, better and wealthier etc. than you in some way - always!

Have you ever noticed that when people generally compare themselves to others they either use someone less successful or someone who they can criticize whether this person deserves it or not?

I can also tell you that many of my heroes - to mention just a few - Og Mandino, Mark Twain, Will Rogers, Jesus, Winston Churchill, Mother Teresa and Charlie Tremendous Jones - comparison was not in their DNA.

What they all had in common was the humility and the desire to contribute in their own special way to the value of humanity and life in general.

Let me ask you - have you ever compared yourself to others to try and convince yourself that you were better in some way or just to make yourself feel OK about yourself? Come on - be honest here.

Why do we need to compare? Is it insecurity, an overcharged ego, the need for approval, the desire to please or simply the fact that we can't admit that we all have flaws and/or weaknesses in our thoughts, actions, decisions and behaviors in some way?

I challenge you for the next couple of weeks as you talk with others to observe their comparisons or your own during conversations and then ask yourself - why? Why do I need to do this? Why do they need to do this? Try it you will be amazed at how frequently we are all guilty of this simple yet rather stupid trait. Stupid you say Tim? Yep, cause what do you think you really accomplish with all of these comparisons?

More or less respect? More or less fame? More or less self-satisfaction? More or less something_______? Sorry!

http://ezinearticles.com/?The-Perils-Of-Comparison&id=9865687

8 Things Happy People Do, But Rarely Talk About

Introduction

Most of us like to think we are fairly happy people if we have nice clothes to wear and a costly vehicle to commute with the family. However, deep down, we might not necessarily be feeling happy about that. When we have an element of repetition in our lives, it is easy to feel depressed about the life that we lead. So what are the secrets of the happy people? What are they doing to get the most out of life while the rest of us watch it pass by? Let us see 8 things that people who are happy in life do and don't keep talking about.

1. Learn to Share: There is a famous adage which states that happiness comes from giving things to others, not from getting things from others. When they live in plenty, they give what they have to others so that they get happiness in sharing.
2. Avoid Drama: Happy persons focus on things at hand and try to do things that they need to do. Others get caught up among distractions trying to find out who said what to whom. In the end, they forget what they need to do to safeguard their lives.
3. Contentment: They take note of what they have and become satisfied with that. This ensures that they are happy and peaceful in their lives. This state of mind helps them to concentrate on what they can do to improve their lives.
4. Remain Optimistic: When things go awry, happy people remain unshaken. They take positive things that have come in their lives and march forward. They are optimistic about the future.
5. Value Relationships: Happy persons concentrate more on developing relationships with others, instead of going after money and advancing their careers. This way they stay cool and contented. The relationships come handy when there is a need.
6. Self Assessment: The secret of being happy lies in accepting where we are in our lives and making most out of our current strength.
7. Focus on Experience: These people give more value to the experiences they have gained in their lives. New clothes are great, but it is hard to get as much enjoyment out of a sweater as you get out of scuba diving near the Great Barrier Reef.
8. Follow Passion: They remain passionate in their lives and learn to live without any fear of failing. They look for chance in each and everything that comes in their lives to gain more experience.

http://ezinearticles.com/?8-Things-Happy-People-Do,-But-Rarely-Talk-About&id=9491297

Finding Happiness In Contentment With What You Already Have

Are you thinking of pursuing happiness by buying more material possessions? Or, are you working day and night to make your both ends meet and therefore, be happy? You know what you do not have to pursue happiness in these ways. You can just be happy by being contented with what you already have. This article shows you how. Read on to find out.

Here are a few tips:

1) So you have saved some money and invested in some business. Let the system work itself by making money out of money. You only have to make sure the business is genuine and established. Do not worry too much and relaxedly collect the interests and keep a little for you and invest the rest again.

2) Do something that interests you. It is something you love doing and put your all into it, gaining happiness. At first they can just be hobbies for instance, playing a guitar or writing non-fiction books. You are doing them for free for the time being. But after you have had true satisfaction from them, the money will keep rolling in provided you monetize your hobbies. For instance, you can play the guitar at a concert and start some income or you can sell your non-fiction book on Amazon and earn good enough. After a while, when there is good income from your hobbies, you can put full concentration on the work you love doing and gracefully quit your day job, getting a lot of satisfaction and happiness.

3) Go through family albums with your children and grand children. Lots of old time stories will emerge and you will have fun and enjoy your time. After all your guests have left, you can note down in a journal all the stories you shared. A few months down the line, when you feel dispirited, go through this day's events in your journal and your spirits will be uplifted and you will feel happy.

4) Put some lovely music and dance with your partner. The old romance would be back. Have a candlelit dinner to add to the romance. Talk softly and enjoy eating together. This is bound to make you rich happiness-wise.

5) If you are having a hard day, think positive despite all negativity of the surroundings. Nothing changes. Think a train of three positive thoughts despite the non-ideal situation. When you concentrate on your fourth positive thought in a row, there is a shift in your environment. This is because people around pick up your good vibes and they also mould to your positive thoughts. That thoughts become things is 100% true. In this case, with your positive chain of thoughts, you succeed in turning a challenge into a breakthrough, which in turn gives you true happiness.

As I have illustrated you don't need more money or more possessions to help yourself become happy. All that you possess already can add to your happiness every day. And this way you make space for more happiness to enter your life for which you do not have to work at all. It is tested and proved that the way I talk about in this article is bound to make you rich with happiness.

http://ezinearticles.com/?Finding-Happiness-In-Contentment-With-What-You-Already-Have&id=9807777

Forget Your Troubles - Come, on Get Happy! Be Okay With Your Own Happiness!

***Did you know that a happy attitude is contagious? Yep, I said it! If you are happy and you express your contentment, chances are strong that those that feel your joyful energy will want to feel the same joy as you... The same can be said for just about any emotion, for that matter. So, it is up to you to decide the tone and mood of what you want to spread or demonstrate to others, by the environment that you want to have around you.. Boy, that was a lot of words to express this: Be content and watch your contentment spread!~ Forget your troubles, if even for a few moments and open your mind to receive joy and contentment. You can command a happy tone by doing something to make yourself happy and your happiness will assuredly spread- Akin to a Florida wildfire on a hot, muggy June day- it may easily spread, that's why Florida has to focus on forest safety, before the summer season begins!

Contentment is happiness in action. It does not stop after it is put out into the airwaves... Not a chance. Once happiness is released by either a modulation in your voice, a soft touch, decorating a room with a flowerpot or vase of ordinate,beautiful, soothing tones of pinks, blues, lavender or powerful blue. Be joyful in knowing that you have chosen to soften the setting of your environment by sharing beautiful, colorfully engaging flowers, thus inviting a conversation-changing the tone of the room. How about puppies? Why do you think it is that people post so many kitten and dog pictures on their social media accounts? Because they honestly want to make themselves and other people happy by effectively bringing joyful visions and attracting a happy feeling to themselves, as well as to others.

Are you content with the content on your social media pages? If not, ask yourself what you can do to improve your tone or mood, on your site. Maybe you can delete negative comments that have nothing to do with you personally. Or, maybe you can have more pictures of nature that always attract the eyes of others, especially if they are colorful or engaging.

Remember, the more you seek joy and contentment through every one of your five senses the more contentment will want to follow you. If contentment, joy and happiness had an Instagram, Facebook or Twitter account, I wonder what the content would read? And also, I wonder what kind of really cool pictures would be posted along with some really expressive comments that could change the tone or mood for millions of followers to want to emulate- at best.. Be aware that like a Florida wildfire is sure to spread, so is the happy, jovial tone going to spread that your release into the airwaves- Whether we are aware or not, has no bearing. Show that you are caring of your happiness and spread the good cheer! Be serene and secure that you are entitled to forget your worries and it's okay to be happy.

***I enjoy learning from you and from others offering me knowledge continuously!

http://ezinearticles.com/?Forget-Your-Troubles---Come,-on-Get-Happy!-Be-Okay-With-Your-Own-Happiness!&id=9622977

Happiness Is Not a One Size Fits All Benefit or Outer Expression

***Think of your jovial tone as something innate and individual. Keep some forms of joy hidden from the view of others that only want to exploit you- or your talents and gifts. I know of so many fantastic artists from different disciplines, that could command a great income. They dazzle by their own inborn way of processing songs, tones, melodies and crafts. Almost as if the artwork is being channeled from their very physical being, a bloodstream of talented veins of power and knowledge, in so many ways. They have the pulse on the heartbeat of creativity all stored in their mind and big brain.. I often wonder what makes them hide their talents from public view?

No, it's not insecurity or low self-esteem. It's that they are aware that people, corporations and other entities, some with a lot of means, are eager to want to take credit for their skills and talents and to steal from them, constantly. I can only admire their work from afar and know in my heart that I have met probably some of the most talented and guarded artists that one can only imagine. I just know that I understand them and their protective nature about their art getting placed into the wrong hands, and exploited by people that are indifferent to artists in general.

Having the ability to command a feeling is not as hard as we make- believe that it is! If your artwork makes you happy, there is no need to measure your treasure. NO need to have to prove or disprove to anyone that your artwork is good. Sit down and relax and perform your art, skill, gift or craft and do it because it's your own creation and because YOU CAN enjoy it ALONE! Whether it's calligraphy, botany, painting or cooking if it brings you joy, let the energy free-flow from your heart and hands to your mind and soul! Come on, let go and enjoy making yourself happy. Enjoy releasing the wealth of creative energy that flows through your blood and veins. You'll be glad that you completed your masterpiece before the end of your life. Perhaps you'll leave a legacy behind for family or extended friends or distant relatives. True Story: I heard of a man in North Africa that painted every day of his life and when he died, his painting's were discovered.He had painted so much AMAZINGLY BEAUTIFUL artwork, during his lifetime, that his artwork was placed in a museum. His artwork became a treasure for his country and the higher courts decided that they were valuable and represented the country very eloquently. The courts decided that this treasure find was so great that it commanded an ability to be displayed for others to see and appreciate,and this was decided after his death. ** He made himself happy, while he was alive, and made others happy after he died. What an amazing legacy he left behind!

Decide to make yourself happy on a daily basis-Go to your happy habit,space, or place where other people congregate, or to the slow, upbeat tempo in the music that you seek. Happiness and joy are subjective, though please know that the principles for contentment are all the same. If we were to define contentment as a condition or a prerequisite for something new or different what exactly would that something be?

I enjoy learning from you and from others offering me knowledge continuously!

http://ezinearticles.com/?Happiness-Is-Not-a-One-Size-Fits-All-Benefit-or-Outer-Expression&id=9625449

Why Things Always Work Out In The End

Things always have a way of working out because our problems are temporary.

We assess life from a narrow perspective which blinds us to the truth.

Knowing things work out in the end does not prevent untoward events occurring. However, we appreciate these are minor elements in a larger scheme working behind-the-scenes.

For example, during a live theatre production, an actor forgets their line and you rationalise the entire play will be dreadful. Though, an hour into the production, the play proceeds effortlessly and you realise it was a minor gaffe in what is a delightful performance.

Suspend judging situations and trust things are working out, despite your opposition to them.

It's unreasonable to expect something not working out, when pieces of the puzzle are still forming.

Ask yourself, "What could be going on behind the scenes that I'm unaware of?"

We must take a long-term view of life, if we wish to find happiness and contentment in our everyday circumstances.

If you set out on a road trip and encounter rough terrain early in the journey, you might conceive the entire trip to be challenging. However, once the destination is reached, you appreciate the journey in its entirety replete with the highs and lows.

Don't judge your life based on current circumstances since this is one facet of it.

"We worry because we do not trust ourselves to handle what happens to us. We worry because we do not trust that the way the chips fall will work out for the best. We worry because we have not yet said yes," states psychotherapist David Richo.

Whilst you shouldn't ignore short-term setbacks, explore the key lessons they represent, a delay is not a denial.

Everything that follows is perfectly orchestrated and there's meaning contained in each event.

We may realise the lesson further down the road while other times we may not understand why the experience took place.

Instead of dwelling on unfortunate conditions, see them as obstacles that provide inner wisdom and personal growth.

The universe brings forth unforeseen circumstances when you least expect it. From the unexpected arises your greatest gifts if you will suspend judgement.

Author James Hollis writes in What Matters Most: Living a More Considered Life, "If we are free, as free as we want to think we are, then our lives should rather easily take care of themselves. We would make appropriate, proactive choices, and life would work out pretty much as we consciously plan."

When things don't eventuate as you expect, focus on what's important instead of becoming embroiled in circumstances that mean little in the end.

A person on their death bed will tell you their three regrets are: having worked too much, not having loved enough and not having the courage to express their feelings.

There's a purpose to your life and your task is to unearth it. When you do, it will be as though you are reborn.

"Author and inventor Buckminster Fuller once said that you "never change things by fighting the existing reality." To change something, he wrote, "build a new model that makes the existing model obsolete," states author Sean Patrick in Awakening Your Inner Genius.

You are called to trust life because what needs to happen will do so, nevertheless. Everything works out in the end since there's a natural order to life, regardless of your fears and doubts.

The most you can do is to embrace your current experience. Acceptance means to acknowledge life happens through you, not to you. Don't be a victim since this reinforces your suffering.

You are powerful beyond measure. I know, I know it may not seem this way. This type of thinking results from perceiving your problems through a victim lens instead of an empowerment lens.

If you lose your wallet, you accept it and retrace the steps to find it. Similarly, to accept your current conditions means to yield to your challenges and allow life to lead you to solutions.

This simple act reaffirms your intent to lean into your conditions instead of retreat from them.

How do you know things always work out in the end?

Look to your past when you encountered similar conditions and got through them.

My greatest breakthroughs emerged when I was ready to give up. Surrender is the greatest step forward. It's an inner declaration to surrender to universal intelligence that knows precisely how things will unfold.

I enjoy this take from author Bernard Beitman who writes in Connecting with Coincidence, "Believing in the usefulness of coincidences means acting as if the section of reality you inhabit is a you-friendly place. Call it positive paranoia, or pronoia, meaning that things will work out in your favour, that "luck" is on your side."

Don't be invested in your difficulties. If you focus on what's not working, it becomes your main point of attraction.

If you've ever been to a wildlife sanctuary or open range zoo, you'll see animals stand perfectly still as they weather torrential rain during a storm.

Yet, the moment the rain has passed, they shake water off their coat and continue on.

Make this your undertaking during unpleasant circumstances. Fully experience what is happening and once it has passed, as it no doubt will, continue on your journey.

I remind you of the Japanese proverb, "Fall down seven times, stand up eight."

With this engraved on your mind, approach your next challenge realising that difficult moments unearth your true character.

Why?

Because your duty is to respond to life as a warrior and greet it with vigilance and courage.

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