R2 Thoughts for You How Can I Be Happy?
(-: Today, let’s talk about being happy. :-)
I assume everyone wants to be happy. At least, all sane, clear thinking and realistic people do. Again, this is my assumption.
Before we go much further into this discussion, exactly what is happiness? Most likely, happiness is, “in the eyes of the beholder.” Some people think happiness is getting everything they want. They want cars, furniture, vacations, clothes, etc.. More often than not, this can lead to never being happy. Every time they get something they previously wanted, their happiness ends with the “newness” of their acquisition. This means happiness is always in the future. It is always coming and going in their life – always appearing and disappearing, therefore, leading to a never ending search for happiness. No matter how much is acquired, there is never enough.
Consider the following quote:
“There are two things to aim at in life: first, to get what you want; and after that, to enjoy it. Only the wisest of mankind achieve the second.” ~Logan Pearsall Smith, Afterthoughts, 1931
“To get what you want” is what I was referring to at the beginning of this post. If we achieve happiness, then, at the best, it is temporary. But, if we “enjoy it,” where “it” implies the object of our proposed happiness, then we are developing the wisdom to enjoy the things we have.
My point here, is that we should always strive to enjoy what we currently have. There is beauty to be appreciated in the simplest elements of life. No matter how bad our life is, we can find many reasons to feel joy on a daily basis. New things will give us some happiness, but relationships (for example, love of a spouse), simple pleasures (for example, a warm slow bath), nature (for example, watching a robin build a nest), positive actions (for example, cleaning your environment) will lead to real and lasting happiness. In other words, we need to find our happiness in the life we have and not keep thinking happiness will find us in the future!
Who should be happy? – YOU!
When should you be happy? – NOW!
Where should you be happy? – HERE!
Why should you be happy? – LIFE!
How should you be happy? – CONSIDER THE PRESENT A PRESENT!
These are my happy thoughts. I would love to hear about yours.
R2 Thoughts for You 
I feel that you have compared happiness to appritatoin wich is a commen mistake to make. The commen person will make this mistake I belive that happiness the emotoin can be felt not thought or made. happiness comes in the surrouding here is where others miss the point.Surrounds can be matiral item and people as you said,but think about other peoples happiness with out there happiness there would be no happiness I belive in the Law Of Conservatoin Of Energy L.O.C.O.E . I
belive that energy can be transformed into emotoin you have food that runs your cells throghout the day and lets say someone elses angers you then your happiness is less. See without others happiness there is no happiness so when adam and eve where here there was the same amount of emotoin and energy as there is today. Energy can not be destroyed or made.If i am converting energy to emotoin then this is true.Now stay with me i know its long i relize your saying convert theses material items to emotoin.But really its not from that thing itself its the energ in it.If someone gets you a guitar you use the sound to make you have happiness one of the seven types of energy is sound. you do not get happiness from the wood and the strings. THis is true also for a pet you dont have the pet for its fur or its meet you have it for its energy and emotoin. I hope you have relized your tiny mistake on the matter and relize that energy=emotoin x Surrounding.Your loveing
-]{@+!3
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Katie,
I appreciate your comment. I’ll have to admit that I never considered the connection between “energy” and “happiness.” I will spend some time thinking about it and, perhaps, I’ll do a follow-up blog on it.
To other readers of this blog and in the spirit of disclosure, Katie is my eleven-year old granddaughter. I am very proud of her. As you can read, she is a compassionate and thoughtful person.
Keep up the good thinking, Katie.
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Wow…
Energy = emotion = happiness (or sadness, or nearly any emotion) is Katie’s opinion on this. I, too, never thought of it this way.
After considering her take, though…it’s true isn’t it? Since the begininng of time humanity’s very energy has created what we now call emotion. It’s an outlet of the highest form — what movies, books and dreams are made of. The excess energy our minds, souls and bodies create are expressed and vented via emotion. It makes sense!
Especially when considering that those who are deemed “clinically depressed” are often NOT people who are crying 24/7…or those who threaten suicide (usually the aforementioned would instead be categorized differently until they have reached a “calm” state). That calm state that is labeled “depressed” is typically an indifference to life. Symptoms are a lack of interest, feeling disconnected, not being able to get up, work, share, leave the house, socialize, etc.
So Katie’s on to something here. We equate energy, life and vibrance with happiness. Regardless of what physical or emotional posessions we have…it’s the ENERGY of it that makes it happiness, sadness, love, or any other emotion.
What a fantastic new insight from my 11 year old daughter, and a great blog subject from my father. For those who read this….you’ll know that “deep thinking” is an inherited trait! :)
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The above comments are from three generations of thought. My granddaughter and daughter did a fantastic job of taking my idea and expanding it into a new uncharted frontier for me.
I thank you both and love you and what you did. Keep up the good work and good writing.
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