“What makes you unhappy?” came the reply. After all, if we are grateful for what we are, do, and have, how can we be unhappy? Such is the magnitude of gratitude. Our happiness hinges on it. The importance of gratitude, appreciation, or thankfulness never escaped the attention of the great philosophers. Marcus T. Cicero (106 ~ 43 BCE), for example, …
You must give up the way it is to have it the way you want it
Unhappiness is a sign we need to change. And the constant companion of change is choice. You see, we can’t change until we choose to do so. Life is an endless stream of choices. Our primary choice is to accept things as they are or to accept the responsibility for changing them. Often, it’s a choice between freedom and enslavement, …
Happiness: Hard to Hold on to?
We seek happiness, yet often find it to be elusive. Like the spring mist, it is hard to hold on to. Why is that? Well, thats the purpose of this article, to answer some questions and clear up some misconceptions about happiness. Did you ever search a room for your eyeglasses only to discover they were propped up on your …
The Glory that Once Was, Still Is
As a child you were courageous, persistent, enthusiastic and energetic. You trusted others, laughed more than you cried, and found life to be an adventure. Can you recall the luster of youth? Can you remember how glorious it was to be alive? Somewhere along the way, however, many of us lost our enthusiasm. We became jaded, cynical, and pessimistic. Hope …
The Three Thieves and Four Pillars of Happiness
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. …