Happiness 101
Happiness, like most things, must have a kind of front and back door. A yin and a yang. An ease and an effort. For instance, I’m more worried about the state of the world than I’ve ever been and spend more time trying to change it. Yet, in many ways, I’m happier. I still don’t know exactly what that means, but I do know One Thing - that happiness has little to do with having a lot of stuff. Yet, we tend to focus most of our efforts in life toward just that.
In fact, No Impact Man has found more happiness by using and having less (but not nothing). Many others find happiness in other unexpected places - through sacrifice, productive challenges and meaningful work. It could be that the current planetary crisis can provide the opportunities we need to lead happier lives, an idea I’m slowly coming to terms with.
My long-time friend, Greg, has moved on a somewhat rocky path through life but demonstrates a reliable and comfortable happiness. Below, he shares his ideas about the practice of being happy. Tao
by Greg Gillette, Asheville, NC
Have you ever looked at yourself and asked, “How happy am I?” If so, what did you discover? How many of your friends and family members seem truly happy? Why are some people much happier than others? Can happiness be learned? Should we make the practice of being happy a part of our daily lives? How do we get there?
Happiness, to me, is that deep down soulful feeling of joy and contentment, where you are striving to see the positive in everyone and everything and to enjoy every moment. I stress the word, striving, because you do not need to be naïve and unaware of the sufferings of the world to be happy. When a person is truly happy, life becomes like a lovely gentle flowing river. The river may at times, flood or dry up. but overall, it flows in harmony, making it’s way around the many rocky obstacles in it’s path.
Everyone experiences pain and sadness and challenges in life, but, once again, how many people truly maintain a soulful radiance of happiness? For my personal perspective, I know very few people that are truly happy, including myself. Yes, I am happy much of the time, but I still feel like I get too easily frustrated and overwhelmed with life and all the craziness of the world.
Therefore, I am on a mission to practice the art of being happy, on a daily basis. Here are six actions to help you on your journey with happiness:
1) Practice healthy eating and exercise.
2) Practice smiling to everyone you see and meet.
3) Practice laughing. This may sound crazy, but laughter is so healing and there is not enough of it on our lives. I believe, in India or Japan, there are laughing clubs, where people gather together and laugh. The next big rave could be laughing parties.
4) Be objective and focus on the positive in what you hear and what you say. You will usually hear more of what people are against, not what they are for (anti-War, Anti-Discrimination, Anti-Poverty, the War against Terrorism). All this fear-based negativity brings more of the same. Like attracts like so focus on what you want (Pro-Peace, Pro-Rights, Pro-Prosperity, the Parade for Peace).
5) Practice heart connections with your friends, family and people you meet. Become genuinely interested in all that surrounds you.
6) Know the difference between pleasure and happiness. Pleasure is never lasting, but it can help set bring you into a flow state that can open the door to happiness.
The necessary virtues for happiness are courage, modesty, spirituality and leadership, thought and action that can be pursued in many ways. All in all, happiness is like so many other aspects of life; it is a state of mind. A state, which, for most of us, must be practiced and practiced until it becomes a part of us.
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