Steps to Happiness

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Stories Happiness

Happiness Formula

Happiness Triggers

Why Happiness?

Introducing Happiness

Overcome Unhappiness

Happy and Happiness

Looking for Happiness

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INTRODUCTION to our subject – Steps to Happiness 1

I thought it appropriate that the next few newsletters should mirror the content of the book I’m writing.

I hope you enjoy…
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Excerpt…

QUOTE: “The mediocre teacher tells. The good teacher explains. The superior teacher demonstrates. The great teacher inspires.” (William H. Ward).

Finding true happiness is a very personal journey.

There isn’t a simple set of guidelines to give you happiness, because every individual finds happiness in different things. But the purpose of this book is to explore a different realm of understanding.

What may trigger sadness in one person could trigger happiness in another. So rather than look at specific events we shall need to look at varying emotive subjects and explore their potential.

Amongst other things I shall introduce a few concepts about ‘being happy’ that you have forgotten existed…

I say forgotten deliberately because we all possess a happy spirit, but sometimes we forget how to trigger it into action.

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I’m sure that you are aware that happiness can be triggered into action. Rarely will you feel you need this trigger until you acknowledge that you’re not happy.

Imagine for a moment a recent occasion of sadness. As you do this your recollection may make this memory so vivid that you’ll feel a flood of sadness returning. Stop this memory immediately.

It will follow as a matter of consequence that if you experience the sensations of a previous sadness you’re also likely to encounter a similar emotional behaviour if you are to remember a period of happiness.

We’ve all been travelling alone in a busy environment and suddenly remembered an incident that happened earlier that day which brought a huge smile to your face. So big was the smile that you felt embarrassed and quickly checked around if anybody saw your surprising behaviour.

Rather than allow that embarrassed feeling, we should cherish the moment. This moment has POWER!

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Excerpt…

QUOTE: “It is self-evident that a generous heart and wholesome actions lead to a greater peace. It is equally clear that their negative counterparts bring undesirable consequences. Happiness arises from virtuous causes. If we truly desire to be happy, there is no other way to proceed but by way of virtue.” (Dalai Lama)

QUOTE: “The good news is that a GREAT LIFE is available to each and every one of us. Living well and making a difference do not require money, fame or power. Living well is about taking time to live your own life on your own terms. It's about caring and sharing, about loving and dancing, and sharing a meal with a friend, or with a stranger. Life is short - give it your very best, every day!”
(Philip Humbert).

How much effort do we need to apply to achieve greater happiness?

Do we dedicate time to plan and plot our next period of happiness, or do we allow our perception to see happiness in everything?

It is a misconception that we need to ADD to achieve more happiness; LETTING GO can be the better approach. Generally speaking we can all remember how happy we were as a child, it is with the ADDING that life becomes complex and subsequently more confusing.

Happiness is therefore more about letting go than plotting and planning your future.

Plotting and planning has its place but it needs to be embraced with happiness and not squeezed from a part empty tube by a negative emotion.

Consider this… One third of our life we go through a period of letting go, but we forget that we do it. When we go to sleep and wake up, we let go of the day or the dream.

Working hard to achieve happiness will work in time, but you’ll experience a rollercoaster ride; all you really need to do is to practice letting go? It is a process of ‘non doing’…
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QUOTE: “One of the most sublime experiences we can ever have is to wake up feeling healthy after we have been sick.”

(Rabbi Harold Kushner)

One of the most important aspects of improving your happiness is to understand that the quality of your decision is dependent upon your state of mind. If happy your decisions are good, if sad then your decisions could trap you into a period of negative decisions. Allow these next few stories illustrate the decisions you make under pressure.

2. STORY 1

THE PREACHER

A preacher wanted to visit an elderly person in his congregation, but when he arrived in her neighbourhood, there was nowhere to park. He drove around and finally, in frustration, he parked in a red zone. Not wanting a ticket, he took out a piece of church stationary and wrote a brief note.

"I have driven around the block ten times and there is no place to park. I have an urgent appointment. Forgive us our trespasses. -Pastor Williams."

Upon returning to his car, he found a parking ticket and an attached note that said, "Dear Pastor, I have driven around this block for ten years, and if I don't give you a ticket, I will lose my job. Lead us not into temptation."
-Officer Steve.

(Unknown Author)

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Stories Happiness

Happiness Formula

Happiness Triggers

Why Happiness?

Introducing Happiness

Overcome Unhappiness

Happy and Happiness

Looking for Happiness

***** o0o*****

3. Story 2

WRAPPING PAPER

The story goes that some time ago, a man punished his 5-year-old daughter for wasting a roll of expensive gold wrapping paper. Money was tight and he became even more upset when the child pasted the gold paper so as to decorate a box to put under the Christmas tree.

Nevertheless, the little girl brought the gift box to her Father the next morning and said, "This is for you, Daddy."

The father was embarrassed by his earlier overreaction, but his anger flared again when he found the box was empty. He spoke to her in a harsh manner: "Don't you know, young Lady, when you give someone a present there's supposed to be something inside the package?

The little girl looked up at him with tears in her eyes and said: "Daddy, it's not empty. I blew kisses into it until it was full."

The father was crushed. He fell on his knees and put his arms around his little girl, and he begged her to forgive him for his unnecessary anger.

An accident took the life of the child only a short time later and it is told that the father kept that gold box by his bed for all the years of his life. And whenever he was discouraged or faced difficult problems he would open the box and take out an imaginary kiss and remember the love of the child who had put it there.

In a very real sense, each of us as human beings have been given a golden box filled with unconditional love and kisses from our children, family, friends and God.

There is no more precious possession anyone could hold.

(Author Unknown)

5: RESPONDING TO YOUR QUESTIONS:

QUESTION: “At my place of work I meet many people with different emotions and often they pull me into their realm. What can I do?”

ANSWER: Life is a reflection of you. If you are sad, then no doubt the people you meet will be sad, somehow you don’t see the happy people pass you by. If you are happy on the other hand your blinkers are removed and you see everyone.

If you are weak and can’t easily identify your state of mind, you’ll soak up the emotion of the next person your meet. These are generally negative emotions. If you are happy, a strong and powerful emotion, you’ll be the one to change a situation.

THE MOUNTAIN STORY

A son and his father were walking on the mountains.
Suddenly, his son falls, hurts himself and screams: "AAAhhhhhhhhhhh!!!"
To his surprise, he hears the voice repeating, somewhere in the mountain:
"AAAhhhhhhhhhhh!!!"
Curious, he yells: "Who are you?"
He receives the answer: "Who are you?"
Angered at the response, he screams: "Coward!"
He receives the answer: "Coward!"
He looks to his father and asks: "What's going on?"
The father smiles and says: "My son, pay attention."
And then he screams to the mountain: "I admire you!"
The voice answers: "I admire you!"
Again the man screams: "You are a champion!"
The voice answers: "You are a champion!"
The boy is surprised, but does not understand.
Then the father explains: "People call this ECHO, but really this is LIFE.
It gives you back everything you say or do.
Our life is simply a reflection of our actions.
If you want more love in the world, create more love in your heart.
If you want more competence in your team, improve your competence.
This relationship applies to everything, in all aspects of life;
Life will give you back everything you have given to it."

And the moral to this story...
YOUR LIFE IS NOT A COINCIDENCE. IT'S A REFLECTION OF YOU!

(Author Unknown)

Bye for now.
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Courtesy:
www.wisdom-and-philosophy.com
 

***** o0o*****

Stories Happiness

Happiness Formula

Happiness Triggers

Why Happiness?

Introducing Happiness

Overcome Unhappiness

Happy and Happiness

Looking for Happiness

***** o0o*****

How to be Happy | Gift Ideas | Wisdom and Philosopy