The First Thief of Happiness: Reacting Emotionally instead of Responding Rationally You wouldn’t fire a gun without aiming, would you? So, why would we act without thinking? When we live as robots acting on impulse instead of rationally, there is a heavy price to pay. Replacing thoughtful behaviour with thoughtless acts leads to mental and physical suffering: lost dreams, emotional …
Happiness is not a matter of intensity but of balance
This article’s title is a partial quote of Thomas Merton (1915 ~ 1968), a Trappist monk who was a major contributor to modern Roman Catholic thought. The full quotation is as follows: “Happiness is not a matter of intensity but of balance and order and rhythm and harmony.” Did you ever feel like a tightrope walker trying to keep your …
Advice for a reader that cannot laugh
I live to laugh and laugh to live (Milton Berle, 1908 ~ 2002) A reader writes, “I read your article entitled ‘The Benefits of Laughter’ (http://www.personal-development.com/chuck/laughter.htm) and while finding it most informative, I also felt as though it were rubbing salt in a wound. You see Chuck, unfortunately I cannot laugh, and have been looking for all sorts of medical …
It’s all UP to you
A few days ago I got an interesting e-mail. It was a Christian message made up of seven brief paragraphs. Each paragraph consisted of a heading, a one-sentence explanation, and a biblical quotation. The seven headings were: Wake Up!, Dress Up!, Shut Up!, Stand Up!, Look Up!, Reach Up!, Lift Up! I thought it was a great idea and decided …
What can we do to foster the growth of peace of mind?
Peace is not Gods gift to his creatures. It is our gift to each other (Elie Wiesel) We dream of living in a peaceful world, but before we can do so, we have to discover our own inner peace. It is only after experiencing contentment that we can sow peace in our family, neighborhood, workplace, and community. What is peace …
Make the rest of your life the best of your life
Make the rest of your life the best of your life. Does that make sense to you? It should because if we fail to make it better, it simply means we make it worse. Some may be tempted to say. “Wait a minute! How can I MAKE my life better? I can’t wave a magic wand and make everything better. …
Searching for happiness is like riding a taxi in search of a taxi
You wouldn’t take a taxi to search for a taxi, would you? Why search for what you already have? The search for happiness is no different. It’s a search for something you already have. Granted, it may not be obvious, for your happiness may be hidden in the recesses of your being. Do you remember the story of the ugly …
We all have received the gift of power of choice
Happiness and love are just a choice away (Leo Buscaglia, 1924 ~ 1998) As I write this, Christmas is right around the corner, so it is only natural that I started to think about gifts. Since I already completed my Christmas shopping, I began to think of gifts I have already received. The major one is the gift of life. …
Don’t Worry; Be Happy
Why did the song Don’t worry; be happy become such a hit? Isn’t it because its simple message resonated within us? Deep down, we realize that we arent supposed to worry. Yet, the worry habit is hard to shake. Not that its surprising; after all, people continue to lose jobs because of downsizing, their children may not be doing well …