Well, certainly one flawed concept we have all grown up with is that someday "we will all find happiness". Happiness is not like found money, that just fell out of someone's pocket, nor should it be. Because reaching this all important destination in your personal journey should not be left to chance. It's a nice illusion to think that we can just sit back and one day, the right person, the right job, indeed the perfect life will just fall out of the sky and we'll live happily ever after. But as you will learn, happiness requires action on your part. It is a state of mind that is nurtured and cultivated.
And here's the good news: Reaching Happiness not just a matter of luck: YOU are actually in control. Therefore happiness is well within your grasp, whatever your circumstances or age.
Happiness is perhaps most clearly defined by what it is not, rather than what it is.
Happiness differs from it's related emotions excitement, elation and bliss, which though potentially more intense, are short-lived emotional states.
Also, it's a common mistake to associate one's happiness with certain events, such as becoming wealthy, or taking a cruise. But while these events may "make you happy" initially, they do not necessarily create happiNESS,
Now listen up, because this is really important: Sustainable Happiness is really a cultivated way of life, rather than an emotion. It is state of mind which ideally, we should expect to return to when the clouds of adversity have begun to clear.
Let me say that again: Happiness is a cultivated way of life, rather than an emotion. A state of mind which we should expect to return to when the temporary clouds of adversity have begun to clear.
That is a profound statement, because like most of you, for many years, I found my level of happiness ebbing and flowing with the changes in my life, changes over which I seemed to have little control. This sense of one's life being chaotic creates tremendous insecurity, because from one minute to the next, one may experience joy and then sadness: with emotions shifting like sands in the wind.
This is condition makes it very difficult to maintain functional relationships or optimal health. For this chaos is not just felt in the mind, but is experienced by the entire body: blood pressure rises to dangerous levels; stress hormones reek havoc with weight, organ systems, the health of hair and skin, inflammation sets in and a cascade of chronic conditions results including arthritis, diabetes and Alzheimer's. Therefore, reaching and maintaining happiness is not an optional goal, but rather an imperative if you wish to live a long, healthy and successful life.
A lack of emotional continuity can also drive us to make poor decisions in an effort to address what we may feel is "missing" in our lives. Chasing short term pleasures may placate our lack of fulfillment temporarily, but usually the payback far exceeds whatever may have been gained by the action. Why is this? Because the fundamental underpinnings of sustainable happiness were not in place.
So, what is the key to living with the reality of our life as it is right now while still experiencing true, sustainable happiness? This is what The Happiness Tree is all about. Continue below to learn more valuable insights.
Creating Sustainable Happiness is not difficult, but it does require determination and focus. It's kind of like learning how to ride a bike. At first, it seems a daunting task, as you wobble all over the place and fall down. But eventually, your miraculous brain figures out what you're trying to do and voila! Pretty soon, you're cruising the around with no hands.
It's not really a mystery, but there are steps you need to take and an attitude you need to maintain in order to reprogram your mind, in a sense. Yes, Happiness is like any other task that you seek to achieve, at first you have to work at it and then it becomes second nature, but that doesn't mean you withdraw your involvement.
You are always the captain of your ship, you have a responsibility to guide it into happy waters if you will. If you relinquish the helm to the whims of circumstance, chances are, stormy seas will be in your future.
So now that I've whet your palette, I will provide you with one of the key points you will need to focus on to create and maintain happiness:
Carefully tend your life and everything in it. As we contemplate the people, situations and things around us, it is common to compartmentalize them and therefore treat them differently, depending on their perceived importance. But it doesn't require an epiphany to come to the realization that all things, including you are essentially made of the same stuff. This is a scientific fact. We are all composed of and swimming in a sea of electrons and waves that are in motion all the time, alive and dynamic. Therefore, everything and everyone is intimately linked by this matrix of matter in motion. Meaning that by tending all people, situations and things in your life, you are caring for yourself as well. An important part of the Happiness Tree concept is removing the boundaries between all the elements that make up your life thereby, revealing the interconnectedness between them. Care for and support all people, situations and things in your life and you will in turn be cared for and supported, even if you're not always aware of it.
Did you enjoy the preceding article? If so, then please check back often for new, helpful insights on Happiness and living a purposeful life. Tell your friends and post comments or questions if you like. I will respond to each one.
-S.E. Mathias
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