Today, so many people search for happiness. Why? Some blame television, social media, and the stress of modern life. But the search for happiness has been going on for a long, long time.
The Dalai Lama: “We all desire to be happy”
Socrates (469-399 BC): “happiness comes from enjoying less, not seeking more”
Aristotle (384-322 BC): “happiness depends on ourselves”.
Need I say more?
In the search for happiness, I think it is important to first define what happiness is.
Many think happiness is a feeling, an emotion. They believe happiness is what you feel when something good happens. Thus, happiness is often replaced with “Joy”. The objective in “finding happiness” then is to frequently do things that make you feel good. But happiness is not a feeling you chase; it is something you live. Otherwise, this can become a never-ending attempt at satisfying a self-fulfilling prophecy. The final result is accomplishing the exact opposite of what you have set out to do: find happiness. You end up looking for something that doesn’t exist – at least on a regular basis. This phenomenon reminds me of the title of a song made popular by Johnny Lee: “Looking for Love (Happiness) in all the wrong places…” This can lead to a feeling of emptiness and frustration, which can lead to a mild or even a full-blown case of depression. (Note: I’m not referring to depression caused by chemical imbalances or deep-rooted issues).
So, what is happiness? As we like to say, happiness is not something you find but something you live: a lifestyle, The Happyness Lifestyle! It doesn’t mean you wake up every morning feeling great and go skipping down the road whistling a happy tune. Even when you live a happy lifestyle, you will still experience difficult and unfortunate times. The dog gets run over, a friend or family member passes, gets diagnosed with an incurable disease, or lord forbid you lose internet connection. Being happy certainly doesn’t mean that you blow these events off and just say, “sh*t happens.” No, that’s not it at all. The happiness lifestyle means you embrace these moments and experience them to the fullest, including the sorrow, the tears, the agony, the grieving—all those things. After all, it’s all part of the “human” experience. It’s one of the things that sets us apart from other mammals and primates. When you live a lifestyle of happiness, you embrace these moments and don’t allow them to control, manipulate, or destroy you.
The Dalai Lama: “all emotions, even anger, sadness and fear, can all be a positive and lead to greater happiness if we approach them in the right way”
You see, it’s not just me making this stuff up; the idea is supported here.
Okay, great, so what does all of this mean to you today? It means you’re not going to have ten things to do to find happiness. You do not need to follow any routine or jump through any hoops. No, today you just have to start living it: The Happyness Lifestyle. The only thing you need to start living it is a commitment to yourself to live it each day, no matter what happens. And if you’re like most of us, you will commit, then uncommit, then commit, and that’s okay, because it’s all part of it. One day we’re on top of the world, and the next day not so much.
Within The Happyness Lifestyle community, we will go through all the highs, lows, and everything in between. We will have fun, love humor, and mix in the right amount of seriousness. All for the purpose of learning you, loving you, being you, and sharing with others.
We will discuss things like:
where to find happiness and where not to find happiness
the importance of being you
help you discover you
seeing and understanding nature’s role in helping us in our walk of life
understanding “Herd” mentality and how it creeps into your life
discovering just how beautiful a person you are
and so much more
Live Happier:Live Well
You are a Beautiful Person!