Happiness Techniques

Sonja Lyubomirsky wrote a book , called the How of Happiness. It's about proven techniques that you can use every day to elevate your happiness level.  Sonja has done a lot of research on this. She says that only 10% of your happiness is determined by your situation.

This means that you may think, when I get that car, or that job, or a new house, THEN I will be happy. Which is true, BUT, for how long? Sure you feel good driving that new car, for about a week. Then you get used to it. Human beings are very adaptable. So now you have the car and it's no longer a big deal.

Sonja found that all Happy People have a way to express Gratitude, and they express it EVERY day. You can do that, too.

She also found that they have a way to nurture their spirituality, and often meditate 20 minutes per day.

There are lots of great ideas in her book, and also in the The How of Happiness Song. The only way to hear it is to go to her website and click the clink on the bottom right:

http://thehowofhappiness.com/

Happy or Irresponsible?

Don't Worry, Be HAPPY!

These are words of advice from a song sung by Bobby McFerrin.

Do they encourage people to ignore problems and behave irresponsibly? Perhaps. But I think they express a profound philosophical truth. Worrying prevents you from being happy. Worry creates tension, and tension prevents happiness. You need some way to relax and take a vacation from stress and worry. Worrying is bad for you, physically, mentally, and emotionally.

The song also states that when you are in trouble, worry will make it double, essentially making the problem worse. We know worry doesn't help anything, and is likely to make you sick!

In the Bible, Jesus says No amount of worry will add years to your life.

In The Lion King, this problem-free philosophy is promulgated by Timon and Pumba, in the song Hakuna Matada.

All these experts agree that worry cannot help you, and in fact can hurt your health. So, don't worry. Be happy.

Happily Ever After

Happiness is an interesting topic. It seems we are always talking about the "pursuit" of it. That makes it seem very elusive. Or the "journey." But happiness is not a destination. Noone lives Happily ever after. Even the most happy people will experience moments of unhappiness. But I think Happiness is a habit.



I read a book about cultivating the habit of happiness and it is a guide to making the most of every situation, and looking for the good stuff. An optimist can always find something good in any event, and a pessimist can always find something negative in any event. Optimism is also considered a habit by Martin Seligman, in his book Learned Optimism.



But what is happiness? Is it an emotion? If so, all emotions are fleeting. They do not have a long life, unless we keep nourishing them.

Which emotion do you want to nourish in your own life? It is a choice. We have control over our thoughts. We can learn and practice optimism. If you need help with this contact your local hypnotist.

Cheerfulness

Call me Mary Sunshine, I am in a good mood today and want to spread encouragement to everyone I encounter today!


So here is something repeated from an email I got today:


Your cheerfulness is a sparkling spring of joy that overflows into every neighboring mind and heart. What a priceless gift your cheerfulness is. You have the power to effect a positive change in your world and the people within it. Your cheerfulness will affect both you, the giver, as well as, the receiver. You can begin by being a giver of good cheer, and then, it will return to you multiplied (many times). Your cheerful attitude is reflected in your smile and in everything you say and do. You follow up every smile with positive uplifting words. Your words have a greater effect on people than you realize.
At times, in the past, we may have been so involved in our own lives that we spoke without considering the feelings of others. Realizing that this has happened in the past helps us in working to improve our communication. You take time to laugh deeply and share the deep laughs of others.
In James 1:19, our Bible states, "Know this, my beloved children. Let every human be quick to hear, slow to speak, slow to anger." We back up our cheerfulness with a caring attitude that begins withlistening instead of talking. When we listen to others, we give a wonderful gift. We pay attention to what they're saying, but we are also alert to the feelings behind their words. If we "hear" loneliness or pain, we offer our cheerful countenance of friendship and offer words of support and encouragement. We ask God to guide our words and actions. Cheerfulness is a learned habit (!). The more we view our relationships with a cheerful attitude, the more solid, lifelong friendships are made manifest in our lives.

I can't take credit for this, I am not so knowledgeable about the Bible. This is from Chris Chenowith, Positive Christianity.

What's the difference between happiness and cheerfulness? I think a person can be cheerful even if they are not happy. And people can be happy without being cheerful. More to follow...

Are we having fun yet?

Are we having fun yet?



We moved to the sunshine state 8 years ago for the weather. We have had some great weather. Even the cold spells are refreshing.

But when do we start having fun? I guess some people enjoy the abusement parks, but we don't. We had a really bad experience the last time we went to a Disney park.

We have had a really bad time with the school system.

We have had a really bad time with the job situation.

We have had a really hard time with finances. It's so cheap here.



So....

Another quotation

"There is a difference between happiness and a mere absence of depression."

This is a quotation from Howard C. Cutler in The Art of Happiness at Work.

Dr. Cutler wrote 2 books in coordination with the Dalai Lama. The Dalai Lama is listed as one of the authors, since Dr. Cutler interviews him and asks him questions about the Buddhist and Tibetan perspectives, which are so different from the Western view.

In this book, the Dalai Lama was asked what he does for a living. He answered, Nothing, I do nothing. Isn't that a perfect job? His life is so entwined with his work (teaching, meditating, counseling, and diplomacy), that there is no difference between working and not working. There is no effort. He is working all the time, yet he perceives it as just being. It's so simple and elegant.What a great way to live.

It seems that Work is more than just the absence of recreation. Excuse me, I have to get back to work.