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Happiness - Not Something To Pursue
Perhaps the most sought after thing in the world is happiness. Our constitution even provides freedom for the pursuit of happiness. People seek out many things in that pursuit . . . power, money, love, sex, food, etc. Happiness is not something to pursue. It's a decision we make for ourselves. Will Rogers may have said it best. He said, "Most folks are about as happy as they decide to be!" You have to decide to be happy. You may be amazed how everything else then falls into place! My wife and I made that decision years ago. It works! But, you have to decide to be happy every day and regardless what happens. That's not always easy. Sometimes it can be a decision you have to make every other minute. You can always come up with "reasons" to be down, if you let yourself. Know what? You can learn to take even bad times in stride! As one 70 year old man said* concerning what he had learned in his lifetime, "Don't sweat the small stuff . . . and it's all small stuff!" It takes practice, but it can be learned. Try it! Make that decision right now! The Lord can help. You can go to Him in thanksgiving and prayer anytime. Prayer works! It really does. For many people, the problem isn't believing in God, or that he can help. The challenge is believing that he will help. "Why should He help li'l 'ole me?" "I'm not important enough for Him to help." "That's such a little thing. Why would He help with that?" "Isn't He too busy with more important things?" "That's too much to ask!" The fact is . . . He is always there, like a loving parent, to help in any way, at any time. All He asks . . . is that you ask, with faith. Then miracles can happen! When you decide to be happy, several things occur. The world suddenly seems like a better place to live in. People seem so much easier to deal with. They seem happier. Why weren't they like that before? Smile, and the world smiles with you? Your job becomes easier. Everything becomes easier! Dreams begin to come true. Of course, there will always be some who will try to bring you back down to their level. Misery loves company? Perhaps. You may need to distance yourself from these people, if not physically, then at least emotionally. Something else to learn. Above all . . . BE HAPPY! Pray about it. He will help! *as recalled by the author from one of the 'Chicken Soup for the Soul' books © 2004 David M. Butcher Dave Butcher works a musical ministry with his wife, Carolyn Richards. They are full time and travel the USA presenting their programs at churches, gospels sings, revivals, RV campgrounds, fairs, festivals, and other events. Carolyn is the #5 "Most Played Overseas Gospel Artist" according to a chart published in the Oct & Nov, 2004 issues of Glory Train Express. Carolyn was in the top three percent "Most Played" of mainstream and indie country artists in early September according to a chart compiled by Western Heart Promotions of Phoenix, Arizona WORLDWIDE MAINSTREAM "MOST PLAYED "MAJOR & INDIE" ARTISTS CHART" 01-15 Sept.2004 According to the chart, she got more airplay in that time period than Tim McGraw, Brooks & Dunn, and Loretta Lynn. She had at least one song on the charts every month in 2004. Dave & Carolyn ask that you remember this: The Lord is gonna see that Everything's Alright! Trust Him! http://CarolynRichards.net
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RELATED ARTICLES
How To Be Outrageously Happy You can be as happy as you want whenever you want. Zen masters have proven this - all you have to do is just "be" with whatever you have right now. Yeah, I know. Sitting on the floor contemplating your blank space may not be what you're after. Highly successful people are outrageously happy because they have fulfilling ways to meet their values. What are values? Well I'm not talking about Dan Quayle and Murphy Brown, or Limp Bizkit's recent family values tour. Values are simply what is most important to you. What The Bleep Are You So Happy About? Could you stand to have a lot more happiness in your life? I've tried all kinds of self-help techniques and have suddenly found much more happiness and fun than ever before. It's fast, it's easy, and you can see results within a week. I was inspired by two sources: the movie, "What the Bleep Do We Know," and the Laugh Doctor, Dr. Cliff Kuhn. To find more happiness, let's take a look at FUN vs. FRUSTRATION. Happiness Is Truly M.A.G.I.C.A.L. (TM) The year is almost half over. Many of us are taking the time to reflect, to imagine new dreams and to revise our goals. Yet, as we engage in these activities, the shadows of unachieved goals and failed dreams continue to follow us. Personal Alchemy, Turn Your Suffering into Gold I am sure it is safe to say that each of us has had times in our lives when we had hopes, anticipation, expectations and events where we desired a certain outcome. What Does It Take To Be Happy? What does it take to be happy? In our age of consumerism many will likely tell you that in order to be happy you have to keep up with the trends, or as they used to say in the 50's and 60's "you must keep up with the Jones's". Do You Love Yourelf? Learning to love yourself isn't easy - especially if you grew up in an environment that involved abuse, neglect, shame or an emotionally dishonest atmosphere. Most people who experience self-love have had it planted as a seed by someone who accepted them unconditionally at a very early phase in their development. But even those fortunate enough to have had this experience, come to find that self-love must continue to evolve as the diversity of life's experiences are faced. For those of us who have not had the seed of self-love planted . . . all is not lost! Self-love is our natural state. We can find our way back to our rightful state of being. Self-love is who and what we are - it is merely hidden by learned patterns of disallowing love. Learning new patterns of allowing love involves an awareness of what self-love is, and then practicing certain skills, self-affirming thoughts, and actions that lead to greater joy. No Happiness Without Patience I'm searching for modern happiness. The old-fashioned kind takes just too long. That happiness requires patience and I don't want to wait. I want upgraded happiness. I want release 4.02, the "new and improved" version. Are You Doing What You Love Each And Every Day? It is easy to get caught up in the day-to-day stress of everyday life: deadlines to meet, schedules to keep, unexpected expenses, conflicts to resolve, illness of loved ones, to name a few. Amidst all this, it is easy to for me to lose sight of why I do what I do - my purpose for being. I discovered my passion and my purpose over seven years ago. It was the catalyst for starting my business, The Center for Balanced Living in 1996. It is what led me to my purpose which is to empower you to live out your dreams with ease and abundance. Sometimes I get caught up in the external factors and forget to focus on what is really important. It is then that I must remind myself why I am here. It is a grounding place for me. Choose To Be Happy - NOW! The older I get, the more I realize that ninety percent of life is about choices. Both the choice to be happy or unhappy is mine. Sure, unforeseeable circumstances come and rattle our cages from time to time but it's our decision how we choose to cope with them. We can resolve to allow the situations to defeat us or we can simply count it all joy. Living a Balanced Life - The Real Juggling Act I just read an installment from another self-improvement course that states that celebrities are unhappy because they don't have gratitude for what they have. I disagree. Top 10 Secrets for Being HAPPY! One of my favorite songs is Bobby McFerrin's refrain, "Don't Worry, Be Happy". I recently had the opportunity to observe people's reactions when a highway was closed because of an accident ahead. As we waited, I watched as some listened to radios, a few began tossing a Frisbee, other's seemed to be working or reading, and some opted for a quick nap. But, there were also a handful who were clearly agitated and angry. Pacing about, swearing, and upset, they decided that the best response to this event, which none of us could control, was to be very unhappy. I was reminded of Abraham Lincoln's comment that, "Most people are about as happy as they make up their minds to be." The following are my Top 10 Tips to increase happiness in your life: Red Balloon of Happiness Just when you think you know it all, some 17-month old child comes along and teaches you another valuable life lesson. Breaking the Cycle Breaking the cycle is a term we have all heard. Especially if we come from a family (and these days who doesn't) that has a history of some type of violence and/or drug abuse whereas this phrase is told to us over and over. "Yes, you have had a bad hand in life. Life is not fair. But the best thing you can do is raise your head and break the cycle of violence in your life". You Need To Start To Like Yourself If you have a very low self esteem or a lack of self-confidence you may be seeking help to gain extra confidence. Keys to Happiness "Happiness is the whole aim and end of human existence" - Aristotle, The Nicomachean Ethics Having Fun with Life It was just a few degrees shy of swimming weather a few weeks ago at the beach. I walked along the shore in my jeans and a red tankini top, the salt air refreshing against my skin but not quite cold. My two sisters and some friends and I were taking a brief hike down the beach. Up ahead, a small freshwater creek came out of the pine forest along the beach and cut across our path. The water of the creek was a ribbon of earthy red crossing the white sandy beach. As we approached, I said to my sister Audra, "let's jump it!" It was a shallow creek, and only about seven feet wide, easily fordable. But something within me wanted to run, to leap, to risk splashing down in the cold water. Carefully wading across just wasn't going to do it for me. I wanted to jump the creek ? for no reason other than the fun of it. Why Do We Feel Happiness? Although many for us strive for happiness in our daily lives to think of it as only a goal is I feel missing the true power of this very important emotion. King Solomons Mind "Don't you understand, everything in this life is meaningless," cautioned the old man. 5 Keys to Understanding Why Your Life (probably) Sucks! #2 In Key Reason #1 we looked at how you are working with outdated beliefs. Reason # 2 gives a clue as to why that might be so. Find Shortcuts To Happiness If someone said you could feel inner peace and joy by just deciding to do it, would you believe them? Well, we're telling you just that! Anyone can choose inner comfort, ease or a feeling of well-being by learning simple tools that will teach you how to make these decisions. Here's a taste of one of the 6 Shortcuts To Happiness we teach at The Option Institute and how you can begin to use it now:
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