Tuesday, January 22, 2013

Happiness

True happiness in life is found always within.--Open Your Mind, Open Your Life

People spend a large amount of time searching for happiness.  If I can just get this new job, promotion, relationship, more, more, more and then when they attain those things they find that they still aren't happy. 

It can be a challenging life lesson to learn that happiness isn't acquired by obtaining material goods, by elevating your social status, or in a new relationship.  Happiness isn't something that occurs outside of yourself.  It's something that is inside. 

One way we can work on finding true happiness is by practicing gratitude.  Gratitude is defined as the quality or feeling of being grateful or thankful.  There are many ways people practice gratitude.  Some people keep a journal, some simply acknowledge the blessings in their lives.  Whatever way you choose to practice gratitude make it a priority.  Embrace the blessings in your life...the people, a roof over your head, food in your belly, a family, friends, a job.  Even if you hate your job be grateful that you have a job.  Even if you are stuck eating Ramon noodles, be grateful for those noodles.    That shift in thinking can shift your entire outlook on life.  Recognize that there will always be people better off than you and, on the flip side, there will always be people far worse off than you.  Be grateful for your place in this life. 

You can't find happiness by searching for it.  You have to let it envelope you, to well up from inside you, to bubble and percolate.  Eventually that happiness can't be contained and it permeates every aspect of your life.  The world as you know it will be changed forever. 

No comments:

Post a Comment