Happiness Tree

Life Presents Problems. Creativity is About Solving Problems. Live Creatively!

Living Creatively is a unique "Zen-like" experience. When we are steeped in a creative endeavor, all distractions disappear; the mind and body are fused into one synergistic beam of energy and all obstacles seem surmountable.

 

 

Living in the "Creative Moment" may be when we are closest to a sense of Spirituality. Because to be creative is to emulate the ultimate creator: Nature, God, the Universe, however you perceive it.

 

 

 

 

The creative process is what has made our world the diverse and fascinating place that it is. Embrace it as your own and enter the fascinating and wonderful realm of ideas. Surrender to the magic of creation and allow it to direct your journey.

With each new endeavor your life and the way you view the world around you, will be transformed.

 

S.E. Mathias

If you enjoyed the forgoing content, please feel free to comment and to share it with your friends and family. And stay tuned for my upcoming book:

"The Happiness Tree", due out in early 2015. 

Surrender to the Creative Process

Is it Grief or Depression? How to Tell and What to Do?

Distinguishing between grief and depression can be difficult. Simply put, with grief, one can still experience moments of pleasure and function in spite of the sadness, whereas with depression, the emotional pain is constant. A depressed person may find it difficult to get out of bed, gather their thoughts or care for their basic needs. Their speech can often be slowed or even slurred and they may express a desire to end their suffering.

 

 

If you feel you need help,                                                                 here is the Suicide Prevention Hotline Website and Phone Number:

Suicide Prevention Hotline

1 (800) 273-8255 

These important symptoms can persist for some time and should be taken seriously by the one effected and or family and friends as a potentially life-threatening condition. Over 38,000 people take their life each year in America. In 2010 (the last year for which data is available), there were 38,364 reported suicide deaths in the United States. Suicide is the fourth leading cause of death for adults between the ages of 18 and 65 in the U.S.

If the aforementioned symptoms of depression sound like you or someone you know, it is important for that person to seek professional help. There is some controversy as to whether antidepressant medications should be administered first, or if talk therapy may be a more effective primary intervention, leaving medication as a last resort. My personal opinion is that antidepressants save lives.

New medications have few if any side-effects and work fairly quickly. Talk therapy can take months to show results and is usually only available to clients once a week or even less often. Leaving them to struggle with their topsy turvy world on their own. Additionally, talk therapy may not be covered by insurance, whereas anti-anxiety and antidepressant medications often are, if prescribed by a treating physician. 

For ongoing support, there are outpatient cognitive therapy programs and support groups across the country, that meet regularly on a variety of topics related to loss. Consult the internet for resources in your neighborhood.

 

 

Friends and family can be helpful, but often the afflicted person feels guilty "dumping" their problems on well-meaning loved ones, adding an even greater emotional load to their already heavy burden. My advice is if you feel that grief has continued too long or has progressed to depression, take action sooner rather than later. A combination of regular meetings with trained therapists or group therapy and appropriate medication can reduce suffering and speed recovery. It may even save a life! 

Beyond that, be sure to care for your physical body. Eat regularly, even if you're not hungry. Consume plenty of liquids, get some exercise like walking or stretching if you can and by all means, get plenty of rest. Your body and brain need to heal and sleep is the best medicine for both.

 

 

Channel your emotions into action that burns calories and you will sleep more soundly. Take a sleep aid once in a while if absolutely necessary, but don't become dependent on them. Try to love yourself and stay focused on the faith that life will get better and that when it does, you'll want to still be healthy enough to enjoy it.

Again, the Suicide Prevention Hotline Info:

Suicide Prevention Hotline

1 (800) 273-8255 

 

S.E. Mathias

If you enjoyed the forgoing content, please feel free to comment and to share it with your friends and family.

And stay tuned for my upcoming book: "The Happiness Tree", due out in early 2015. 

This Year, Make a Healthy Resolution

Your body and mind were meant to be used and to work together as a seamless organic whole.

Make a commitment today and every day to rejoice in the miracle of living and care for your incredible machine, to the best of your ability.

How well your body functions and how many years you have to look forward to is really up to you.

 

 

Taking control of your health is taking control of your future. It's never too late to make healthy, holistic living a priority.

 

 

 

S.E. Mathias

If you enjoyed the forgoing content, please feel free to comment and to share it with your friends and family. And stay tuned for my upcoming book:

"The Happiness Tree", due out in early 2015. 

A Christmas Story for the Ages - The Christmas Truce of 1914

Did you know that 101 years ago, while English, French, Belgian and German troops were beginning World War I, there suddenly broke out a Truce, along the area called "No Man's Land" separating the trenches between the German front lines and the Allied Forces Western Front?

 

It is true. And remains one of the most enduringly human stories to emerge from any war time conflict. The details are of course fuzzy, as no one from that day is still living to recall the events, but it seems that all along the Western front, perhaps as many as 100,000 troops laid down their weapons and cautiously entered the dangerous area between the opposing forces, which at points along the front spanned as little as 100 feet. 

One story recalls that English troops heard hymns being sung by the German troops and they then joined in. The Germans then held up signs stating "You no shoot, we no shoot", whereupon, the enemies met between their dug out and shared beer, exchanged gifts of hats, buttons and food, then in some areas, even friendly bouts of soccer broke out, with a makeshift soccer ball.  

To read more about this amazing Christmas story, check out this link:

The War Time Truce

or just search for #ChristmasTruce anywhere on the web. 

Remember, no matter how dire the circumstances, there is always room for hope. Life is miraculous that way and I wish for this true and heartwarming story will put a smile on your face and become a part of your Happiness Tree today and every day. 

Please share this post with your friends and family.

Merry Christmas and Happy New Year!

S.E. Mathias

 

 

 

How Can We Create Happiness in Our Troubled World?

 

It seems every continent is rocked by violence or the threat of it. You may even consider it a selfish extravagance to wish for joy and peace when so many across the globe live without it.  How can we reconcile these disparate realities and should we even try?

 

Does compassion implore us to suffer along with those who face oppression and aggression in their daily lives, or is there another path that allows our heart to acknowledge suffering, while still keeping our mind's eye focused on the vision of a more harmonious planet?

As you contemplate the true meaning of the holidays, regardless of your faith or belief, you cannot escape the fact that though many in the West live in an artificial bubble of presumed security, current events would suggest that a small minority of evil minded individuals are finding ways to circumvent even our most technologically sophisticated defenses. No longer can we read the newspaper or listen to the news and comfort ourselves that all those human tragedies are happening somewhere "over there" - some part of the world where nameless and faceless savages are killing each other as they always have. 

Today, the world is a much smaller place. Less than a hundred years ago, conduits for exporting violence were limited to men on horseback, ships and armies marching across vast stretches of territory. Yet today, we live with threats from technological advances that were intended to improve human life, rather than destroy it. such as aircraft and cyberspace.

These are now the conveyances that evildoers use to disrupt our pursuit of happiness, in a diabolical plan to return humanity to some type of pre-medieval tribe, devoid of the corrupting influences (as they view it) of music, art and freedom that allow for the richness of human expression. How ironic that this culture of terror employs modern advances in their pursuit to destroy modernity. 

In light of all this, is sustainable happiness even possible in today's world?

Yes. You not only have an ability to pursue happiness and peace in your own life, you have a responsibility to do so. If you let the images and shocking statistics of evil's successes undermine your daily life, then they have won. It takes courage to be happy, as being courageous is to stay the course in the face of fear. The cruel trick of using man's ingenuity against him by exporting messages of hate and death across the world wide web must be countered by an equally determined campaign of tolerance, decency, humanity, creativity and freedom. As is inscribed on the Korean War Veteran's Memorial, "Freedom is not Free". We need to sacrifice in support of our homes, our health, our way of life and yes, even our happiness. 

Where can you start? 

Be the example of human potential that you envision for the world. Just as I sit with my computer and communicate with people in Europe, Asia and Africa, seek sources of insight, self expression and joy in your own life and find ways to export them as far and wide as possible. As the battle for hearts and minds is increasingly moving from the bullets to bytes, this is a great place to find your voice. Write, create, sing, act, learn how to use this medium to nip at the heels of evil and bring smiles to the faces of people you will never meet, living in places you can barely imagine. But while you're opening your mind to this new matrix of human interaction, don't forget that the promotion and dissemination of happiness must begin first at home. Be patient and loving with your family, volunteer to help others less fortunate in your community, seek collaboration rather than competition in all relationships, whether at work or at home. 

It is true, you may not be able to save the lives of innocent people living across the globe, but that doesn't mean there is nothing you can do. I guarantee that if you live in a city, there are many individuals residing within a ten mile radius of you who feel their lives are hopeless and desperate. You pass them on the street every day. They may even be people you have talked to, but never really heard. Listen, share, support, understand and be kind. This is the true message of the holidays and the method by which you can create joy and peace throughout your world and beyond, today and every day. Remember, "Evil exists, because good men do nothing". Be a warrior for peace and joy. This is how you and everyone you recruit to your cause will keep hope alive. 

-S.E. Mathias

 

Don't Let This New Year's Resolution Become Just Another Forgotten Promise

If we look back through history, we discover how many men and women accomplished amazing things, so early in life. Just a few of the hundreds of examples are, Alexander the Great had conquered most of the known world and helped to build one of our ancient civilization's greatest cities: Alexandria, Egypt. And he did all of this before his death at the ripe old age of 32.

 

 

John Keats, the great poet and master of language, died at age 25.

 

 

 

Mozart, a musical prodigy who composed some of the greatest music ever heard, died at 35 of unknown causes.

 

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Why do I bring this up?

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Well, it occurs to me that, as little as a century ago, no one had an expectation of living past the age of 50. Therefore, perhaps the time they did have was more valuable. There were so many with a passion for discovery and creativity, that worked tirelessly to achieve their goals before their time ran out.

 

 

Now however, through advancements in medical science and the eradication of many deadly diseases, people are not only living longer, in fact centenarians, individuals who live to the age of 100 or more, are the fastest growing demographic in the developed world today.

While this is certainly an amazing development for humanity, has the lengthening of life also had the effect of diluting the passionate pursuit of science, art and literature that was once so vibrant during our civilization's tumultuous past?

Do most of us put off following our dreams or committing to a goal because we tell ourselves "there is always tomorrow"?

 

Probably, if you're like I was, 1000 tomorrows have come and gone and still your idea sits on a shelf, dormant, waiting for the "right moment" to be brought to life. 

Consider this, that while your idea, goal, dream, whatever, may have come through you, it does not belong to you. By that I mean that it's very possible that your community, family, friends or even humanity could greatly benefit from your idea.

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As I sit here and type out these words on my Apple computer, I know that I have Steve Jobs and many others that he inspired, to thank for pursuing the dream of manifesting this wonderful machine that I now use to communicate with you.

You have a responsibility to do more than just exist. For ourselves as well as those that follow us, when we imagine something spectacular, it's essential to understand: that thought did not just arise in you randomly, it was born from many different inspirations you witnessed, heard or experienced and it came to YOU for a reason.

 

Yes, there is always tomorrow and those of us who are blessed enough to take that for granted need to make every tomorrow from now on, count for something.

For when you reach that tomorrow, a thousand days from now and look back through the rear view mirror, what do you want to see? A gray blur with no discernible highlights or a cluster of colorful endeavors that gave your life meaning and purpose. 

S.E. Mathias
 

Master Your Mind and Your Brain for a Much Happier Life!

What is the Mind? Oddly, there is no clear definition of the Mind. Often the terms "Mind" and "Brain" are used interchangeably, but they are not the same. The Brain is a tangible 3 pound mass that serves as the central command post for all your bodily functions. It is also the seat of our emotions and where memories are stored, among other things.

The Mind however, is not tangible. It may emanate from the body, but does not reside there. It is the mysterious realm of consciousness, it is the medium through which we interact with the world. Through the mind, we project our personality: expression; curiosity; passion; desires; hopes and aspirations all live in and arise from the Mind. And though the Brain and the Mind are not the same, they do work together. Think of them like the two pillars of a computer system, with the Brain being the hardware, (the terminal, wires and semiconductors) and the Mind being more like the software, (able to interact with and learn from the outside world and thereby evolving a unique relationship with it's owner). So the Brain and the MInd are indeed interdependent but operating in very different spheres. 

How to Master your Mind and Brain and Why it is important?

Most of us experience a chatter in our heads from the moment we wake up until we fall asleep. In a way, the mind can behave like a hyperactive child: easily bored and easily distracted but with a very short attention span. Allowing this child to take over your thoughts is like handing your car keys to a five year old: eventually some serious damage will be done. The Mind, under the influence of this child, can easily hijack the brain and begin reprogramming it's circuits for anger, fear, hopelessness and despair, even when the circumstances don't necessarily warrant it.

This can occur suddenly or over time, when images, events or situations in your life are poorly understood or processed. These "flawed thoughts" are laid down in the Mind as traumas and they then go on the influence the physiology and function of the Brain. The Brain, being an all too willing servant of the Mind, stores away these perceived traumas, where they proceed to create all kinds of havoc. The tension, anxiety and depression resulting from this "reprogramming" of the Brain, puts the body at risk of serious life threatening diseases and even early death through the Brain / Body connection. 

Luckily though, this impetuous child can be usurped by a higher authority. We will call this authority "Your Higher Self". Your Higher Self is really meant to keep everything in check, but he or she needs to be taught how to manage things.

She does this by telling the child to sit down and shut up, after which she can slow everything down and process situations and thoughts more carefully. Instead of assigning an emotional charge to everything, as a child would, she looks at things through a more pragmatic lens, deciding what is the best way to view, understand and label a given experience or idea, then carefully filing it in the right place; either in the trash can or for later use in the memory. This careful analysis of the chatter occurring in our mind eventually helps us to view things for what they really are. Arriving at conclusions that are closer to the truth is essential for helping our brains appropriately process decisions, while remaining relatively serene. One day, the child will be tamed and learn her place, that being: to maintain our youthfulness, through curiosity, wonder, excitement and joy. Then, the chatter, which by then will no longer have a receptive audience, will begin to diminish and the Mind, Brain and Body will start working together like one well oiled machine.

-S.E. Mathias

If you enjoyed the forgoing content, please feel free to comment and to share it with your friends and family. And stay tuned for my upcoming book: "The Happiness Tree", due out in early 2015. 

 

#Happiness #HappinessTree# #Mindfulness #MathiasWisdom #MasterYourMind #OvercomingAnxiety 

Suffering and Compassion Fit Together Like a Hand and Glove

Overcoming suffering is everyone's greatest challenge

The first of Buddhism's Four Noble Truths is that Life is Suffering. There are many sources of suffering, loss, illness, craving something we cannot have and this reality cuts across all social and economic lines to effect everyone. Certainly, regardless of who you are, you can recall an event or circumstance in your life that caused suffering and that is the basis of Empathy: The ability to place yourself vicariously in someone else's shoes, in order to comprehend their emotional state.

 

This ability arises from dealing with your own challenges and deepens your understanding of and connection to the rest of humanity, helping you realize that none of us are alone in our suffering, it is a condition that effects everyone at one point or another in their lives. 

See your past challenges as a way to have a positive effect on your loved ones and on those you encounter on a daily basis

The natural response to feelings of empathy is a desire to reduce the suffering of those you love and that you encounter throughout the day. It is not necessarily your responsibility to take away their challenges, for inherent in those challenges may be lessons they need to learn for themselves, but your thoughtfulness can lighten the intensity of their suffering through something as simple as a smile, a kind gesture, a positive and reassuring statement or a hug. Regardless of the relationship you share with the person in question, your actions can provide tremendous relief through the provision of hope and the reduction of anxiety.

During this Holiday season, remember that the greatest gift you can offer someone is that of your time and understanding. Use this opportunity to slow down, consider the value of your relationships, reach out to your friends and family that may be dealing with one challenge or another, break old patterns of silence and apathy, use what you have learned about adversity to provide hope. Be vulnerable. Tell your stories and demonstrate that we all suffer and with time, we will emerge on the other side positively transformed in ways we can barely imagine. 

If you enjoyed the forgoing content, please feel free to comment and to share it with your friends and family. And stay tuned for my upcoming book:

"The Happiness Tree", due out in early 2015. -S.E. Mathias

#HappinessTree #Suffering #Compassion #Happiness 

Being Creative is Making time for Happiness!