Happiness

It’s not something that ‘happens’ to us.
Happiness isn’t something to be ‘found’.

Happiness is something that we CHOOSE.
We DECIDE to be happy (or not to be).

Often…we place conditions on whether or not we will choose to be happy.
‘I will be happy if I get a promotion’
‘I will be happy if my children get good grades in school’
‘I will be happy if I find a man (or woman)’

The more I allow external things determine my mood…the more my mood will fluctuate.

I have very little control over my external world….the only thing that I can control is how I react to it.

CHOOSING to be happy is something that we can do..by changing the way that we THINK…

There are things that we can do..simple things……

Make a gratitude list.
Even when things are at their worst, there are ALWAYS things to be grateful for.
Sometimes we have to really look for them….it doesn’t FEEL like we have things to be grateful for… but we always do.
Always.
Find them.
Write them down.

Think about those things often…and as you think of other things to be grateful for…add them to the list.

Something else that we can do is to practice smiling….Today….smile every time you think about it…and at least once, smile at a stranger….someone who really looks like they could use one.

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Do you want to be happy? Uninterrupted happiness is uncaused. True happiness is uncaused. You cannot make me happy. You are not my happiness. You say to the awakened person, "Why are you happy?" and the awakened person replies, "Why not?"

Happiness is our natural state. Happiness is the natural state of little children, to whom the kingdom belongs until they have been polluted and contaminated by the stupidity of society and culture. To acquire happiness you don't have to do anything, because happiness cannot be acquired. Does anybody know why? Because we have it already. How can you acquire what you already have? Then why don't you experience it? Because you've got to drop something. You've got to drop illusions. You don't have to add anything in order to be happy; you've got to drop something. Life is easy, life is delightful. It's only hard on your illusions, your ambitions, your greed, your cravings. – Anthony de Mello, SJ