DO YOU CONSIDER YOURSELF A HAPPY PERSON?
If so, what makes you feel happiness? Your family, your work, your religious faith? Perhaps you are looking forward to something that may make you happy, such as finishing your schooling, getting a good job, or buying a car,singing happy songs.
Many people experience a measure of happiness when they reach a certain goal or obtain a desired item. But how long does that surge of happiness last? Often, it is only temporary, which can be disappointing. You can answer these questions for yourself to see your stand in happiness.
- What is happiness to you?
- What is happiness in life?
Happiness has been described as a state of well-being that is characterized by relative permanence, by emotions ranging from mere contentment to deep and intense joy in living, and by a natural desire for it to continue.
What is happiness in life?
Further as an ongoing state of well-being, happiness has been described as a destination or goal, but as a journey.Happiness is a choice. To say, I'll be happy when... is, in effect, postponing happiness.To illustrate, compare happiness with good health. How do we enjoy that state of physical well-being? We follow a wise path in regard to diet, exercise, and overall lifestyle. Likewise, happiness results from following a good path in life, living in harmony with sound principles.
Happiness is really an on-going factor and people becomes happy when they watch happiness movies, read happiness articles such as this one, think of happiness thoughts,etc.
But, what principles or qualities of life characterize the way of happiness? While some are important than others, the following play a key role:
HOW TO BE HAPPY
1.Contentment and Generosity
2.Physical Health and Resilience
3.Love
4.Forgiveness
5.Purpose in Life
HOW BEING CONTENT AND GENEROUS CAN MAKE YOU HAPPY
What does the evidence suggest?
According to the journal of Happiness Studies, once our basic needs are met, more income does little to improve our overall happiness or our sense of well-being. Money itself it's not the issue, its the striving for money that's linked to unhappiness. Some of the pains money can cause us are as follows:
1.Worry and loss of sleep because wealth has to be protected.
2.Disappointment when the promised happiness fails to arrive
3.Grief and frustration when money or investments depreciates or fails.
Qualities that promote happiness
Contentment: People who are content are not disposed to complain or grumble, and their desires do not exceed their means, they spare themselves needless anxiety and stress.
Generosity:Generous people are happy because they enjoy making other people happy, even if all they can give is a little of their time and energy or money. They often gain in abundance what no amount of money can buy--love, respect, and genuine friends, who give generously in return!
Putting people before things:Loving relations with others are more valuable than material riches. And love, as we shall see later is vital to happiness.
HOW BEING PHYSICALLY HEALTHY CAN MAKE YOU HAPPY
said: "I became deeply depressed. My strength, courage, and power drained away . . . I felt 'destroyed.' "
John's experience reminds us that none of us have complete control over our health. Still, we can take reasonable measures to reduce the risk of ill health. But what if our health deteriorates? Does that doom us to unhappiness? Not at all, as we shall see. First, though, let us consider some principles that promote good health.
1.Be "Moderate in habits":Habitually eating or drinking to excess is obviously bad for our health-not to mention our finances!
2.Do not pollute your body:People defile their bodies when they chew or smoke tobacco or abuse alcohol or drugs. Smoking, for example, "leads to disease and disability and harms nearly every organ of the body," says the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
3.View your body and your life as precious gifts: Appreciating that fact moves us to avoid taking needless risks, whether we are at work, driving, or choosing
our recreation. A momentary thrill is not worth a life of disability!
4.Control negative emotions: Your mind and body are closely linked. So try to avoid undue anxiety, unbridled anger, envy, and other harmful emotions. Never be anxious about the next day, for the next day will have its own anxieties_Matthew 6:34.
5.Try to focus on positive thoughts: "If you are happy," said a doctor in Scotland, "you are likely in the future to have less in the way of physical illness
than those who are unhappy."
6.Build Resilience: Like John, mentioned earlier, we may have no choice but to endure a persistent trial. Still, we can choose how we endure. Some become overwhelmed with discouragement which may make matters worse.
Others, perhaps after initial feelings of despair, bounce back. They adapt. They find ways to cope. That was the case with John. He said that after much prayer and meditation on the bible's positive message, he "started to see opportunities instead of obstacles." Moreover, like many who undergo major trials, he learned valuable lessons in compassion and empathy, which moved him to share the bible's comforting message to others.
Another person who suffered greatly was a man named Steve. At age 15, he had an accident that paralyzed him from the neck down. By the time he was 18, he had regained the use of his arms. He then went to a university, where his life spiraled into drugs, alcohol, and sexual immorality. He had no hope-until he began to study the bible, which gave him a new outlook on life and helped him to conquer his bad habits. "The emptiness that I felt for so long was no longer there," he said. "My life now filled with peace, happiness, and contentment."
Key Points
> Take good care of our body
> View life as sacred
> Control negative emotions
> Focus on positive thoughts
> Build resilience
HOW TO BE HAPPY WHEN YOU LOVE OTHERS
The love referred to here is not romantic love, which of course, has its place. Rather, it is a superior form of love that causes a person to show sincere concern for the welfare of others, even putting them before self. It is love that is guided by godly principles but is by no means devoid of warmth and feeling.
A beautiful description of love states: "Love is patient and kind. Love is not jealous. It does not brag, does not get puffed up, does not behave indecently, does not look for its own interests, does not become provoked. It does not keep account of the injury. It does not rejoice over unrighteousness, but rejoices with the truth. It bears all things, ... hopes all things, endures all things. Love never fails."
Such love "never fails" in that it will never cease to exist. Indeed, it can grow stronger over time. And because it is patient, kind, and forgiving, it is
"a perfect bond of union." Hence, relationships bound by such love are both secure and happy despite the imperfections of the individuals. For example, consider the marriage union.
UNITED BY "A PERFECT BOND OF UNION"
Jesus Christ taught important principles on marriage. For instance, he said: " 'A man will leave his father and his mother and will stick to his wife, and the two will be one flesh' . . . Therefore, what God has yoked together, let no man put apart." At least two important principles stand out.
"The two will be one flesh." Marriage is the most intimate union humans can have, and love can protect it against infidelity-that is, the husband or wife becoming 'one body' with someone other than his or her spouse. Unfaithfulness shatters trust and can wreck the marriage. If children are involved, they may be emotionally traumatized, feeling unloved, insecure, or even resentful.
If couples are having problems on how to be happy in their marriage, you can go out and watch happiness movies and learn from it. Continue having happiness thoughts cause it will help you a lot.
Marriage is also a sacred union. Couples who respect that fact strive to strengthen their marriage. They do not look for a way out when difficulties arise. Their love is strong and resilient. Such a love "bears all things," working through difficulties in an effort to maintain marital harmony and peace.
When self-sacrificing love exists between greatly. A young woman named Jessica observed: "My father and mother truly love an respect each other. When I see my mother respect my father, especially when dealing with us children, it makes me want to be just like her."
LOVE PROMOTES HAPPINESS BECAUSE IT . . .
> Helps us to show sincere concern for the welfare of others
> Can grow stronger over time
> Gives strength and resilience to friendships and marriages
> Helps children to thrive and feel secure
> Makes us more like our creator
FORGIVENESS : HOW IT CAN MAKE YOU HAPPY
> Let anger or bitterness sour relationships, leading to isolation and loneliness
> Become easily offended, anxious, or even severely depressed
> Become so focused on a wrong that they cannot enjoy in life
> Feel that they are at odds with spiritual values
> Experience increased stress and higher risk of ill health, including high blood pressure, heart disease, and pain disorders, such as arthritis and headaches
WHAT IS FORGIVENESS? Forgiveness means pardoning an offender and letting go of anger, resentment, and thoughts of revenge. It does not mean condoning a wrong, minimizing it, or pretending that it did not happen. Rather, forgiveness is a well-thought -out personal choice that reflects a loving commitment to peace and to
building or maintaining a good relationship with the other person.
Forgiveness also reflects understanding. A forgiving person understands that we all err, or sin, in word and deed. Reflecting such insight, the bible says:
"continue putting up with one another has a cause for complaint against another."-Colossians 3:13.
It stands to reason, then, that forgiveness is an important fact of love, which is a perfect bond of union. Indeed, according to the Mayo Clinic website,
forgiveness leads to . . .
> Healthier relationships, including feelings of empathy, understanding, and compassion for the offender
> Improved mental and spiritual well-being
> Less anxiety, stress, and hostility
> Fewer symptoms of depression
FORGIVE YOURSELF. Self-forgiveness can be "the most difficult to achieve," yet "the most important to health" -mental and physical- according to the journal Disability and Rehability. What can help you to forgive yourself?
> Do not expect perfection from yourself, but realistically accept that you- like all of us-will make mistakes._Ecclesiastes 7:20
> Learn from your errors so that you will be less likely to repeat them
> Be patient with yourself; some personality flaws and bad habits may not go away overnight._Ephesians 4:23,24
> Associate with friends who are encouraging, positive, and kind but who will also be honest with you.
> If you hurt someone, take responsibility for it and be quick to apologize. When you make peace, you will gain inner peace.
BIBLE PRINCIPLES REALLY WORKED!
After studying the bible, Patricia, quoted at the outset, learned to forgive. "I feel liberated from the anger that poisoned my life," she wrote. "I no longer suffer
, and I don't make others suffer. Bible principles confirm that God loves us and wants the best for us."
A man named Ron said: "I could not control the thoughts and actions of others. But I could control my own. If I wanted peace, I had to let go of resentment. I began to view peace and resentment as north and south. I could not be in both places at the same time. I now have a good conscience."
FORGIVENESS LEADS TO . . .
> Healthier relationships and inner peace
> Less anxiety, hostility, and stress
> Improved physical, mental, and spiritual health
PURPOSE IN LIFE
Why does the universe exist?
How did we come to be?
What does the future hold?
Some people shy away from those questions, thinking that the answers are beyond us. Others say that such questions are pointless because life is a product of mindless evolution. "There are no gods, no purposes," claimed professor of history and biology William Provine. He added: "There is no ultimate meaning in life."
Such people, however, consider that fatalistic outlook unacceptable. They see a universe that is governed by precise, elegant, mathematical laws. They marvel
at the impressive designs in nature, some of which humans try to mimic in man-made products. And everyday experience tells them that complex, highly functional designs in nature, some of which humans try to mimic in man-made products. And everyday experience tells them that complex, highly functional designs point to intelligence, not undirected forces.
Such reasoning has moved some evolutionists to reconsider their position. Note the following two examples.
NEUROSEUGEON DR. ALEXEI MARNOV."The schools I attended taught atheism and evolution," he said. "Anyone believing in God was considered uninformed." In 1990, however his thinking began to change.
"I have always tried to understand the logical reason for things," he explains, "including the human brain. This amazing organ has rightly been called the most complex structure in the known universe. But was the brain designed to gain knowledge and skills and then die? This seemed pointless, unreasonable. So I began to wonder: 'Why are we here? What is the purpose of life?' After serious reflection, I concluded that there must be a creator."
The quest for life's purpose led Alexei to examine the bible. Later, his wife, a medical doctor who was also an atheist, studied the bible as well, initially
to prove her husband wrong! Now, however, both firmly believe in God and understand his purpose for humankind as explained in the Scriptures.
PLASMA SCIENTIST DR.HUABI YIN. Huabi Yin studied physics, and for so many years, she did research on plasma. Considered the fourth state of matter, plasma(as the sun) is composed largely of electrons and positive ions.
"Whenever we scientists study natural phenomena," says Huabi, "we always find a high degree of order, which is a result of a precise laws. 'How did these laws arise?' I wondered. 'If even a simple cooking fire must be carefully controlled, who is responsible for the laws that regulate the sun?' In time, I concluded that the first statement in the beginning God created the heavens and the earth."
Science to be sure, has shed light on many "how" questions, such as:How do the brain cells work? And how does the sun generate heat and light? But as Alexei and Huabi discovered, the bible answers the more important "why" questions: Why does the universe exist? Why is it governed by laws? And why do we exist?
Regarding the earth, the bible says: "[God] did not create it simply for nothing, but formed it to be inhabited."(Isaiah 45:18).
WE NEED SOMETHING TO LIVE FOR
"To keep alive and mentally healthy we need something to live for," wrote William Mc.Dougall, a professor of psychology. In a similar vein, Carol Ryff, also a professor of psychology said that people whose lives have purpose show widespread health benefits-they have reduced risk for cognitive [mental] impairment . . . , reduced risk for cardiovascular disease, better recovery profiles from stroke . . . and, relatedly, they live longer. What is happiness to you?
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