Following information was found at
The Happiness Project.
What’s something you know now about happiness that you didn’t know when you were 18 years old?
Happiness takes effort. Amidst our busy lives that could easily become crammed with concerns and obligations, you must make an effort to carve out occasions - and conditions - for happiness to transpire. At 18, I thought that happiness was completely organic. Now I recognize that intention plays a great role in happiness.
Is there anything you find yourself doing repeatedly that gets in the way of your happiness?
Rushing. I've had a problem lately with wanting to rush through process. I see a point in the future that I want to race to and I stop appreciating the present. I get all worked up and then I stop and realize, "what the heck am I doing racing through part of my life?" The processes we endure are, in fact, life. Rushing life makes no sense.
Do you work on being happier? If so, how?
Yes. I try to take inventory every now and then - especially when I feel encumbered by the unknowns. There are certain things in my life that bring me to a happy state. Family is one of them. Certain projects and memories also remind me how lucky I am. When I feel anxious I try to take the broader perspective and reconnect with the "constants" in my life that are, in essence, the roots of my happiness.
Is there a happiness mantra or motto that you’ve found very helpful?
There are a few mantras that I have said to myself over the years.
- People who change the world are people who master what they love.
- Don't be ambitious to be successful, be ambitious to be happy.
- The point of life is to have fun and deserve it.
As you can see, I'm always trying to reconcile responsibility with joy. I enjoy doing so.
I say take time each and every day to find or do something that makes you happy. It really is not as hard as it seems, but it does take effort :o)
Very nice. It does take a lot of extra effort when the world around you is negative. We have to invent our own state of contentment sometimes. I think I'm happiest when I'm doing God's will and helping others. I need to figure out more of what his will is and do more, I think. Have a good rest of the week. It's the half mark day. Fast week, for me. Hope yours is too.
ReplyDeleteHappiness does take work, but it's worth it...just think of living every day miserable. No thanks.
ReplyDeleteAs for mantras, mine is "Want the things you have, don't have the things you want".
Also, happiness isn't always underlined and obvious. Sometimes happiness is so subtle, you don't know you're experiencing it.
ReplyDeleteWe don't have to master our destiny to be happy. In fact the trick is finding happiness despite the knowledge that don't have nor will ever have all the control.
ReplyDelete