Issue #11 | May 2010
Is happiness a destination or a state of mind?
Is there a process you are supposed to go through to get there or
can you change your mind in a moment and choose to be happy?
Let’s start with what Happiness is.
The dictionary defines it as:
- A state of well-being characterized by emotions ranging from contentment to intense joy.
- A state of mind or a feeling characterized by contentment, love, satisfaction, pleasure.
So my questions for you are
- Do you know when you are happy?
- What does happiness mean for you?
If your idea of happiness changes day to day or you don’t have a very good idea of what happiness looks like for you, how will you know when you get there?
During my life, my definition of happiness has changed. As a child, happiness was getting up in the morning with great excitement for what the day would bring. It was the simple pleasure of seeing my parent’s faces with love, learning something new, meeting new friends. Everything was new and full of surprises.
A s I grew up, that excitement was varnished with disappointments. Happiness started to look like a life without drama and stress or a day to just do nothing. Finding an authentic person who loved life and lived it to the fullest – that reminded me, for a moment, what happiness used to be.
What I have come to realize, is that you can change your mind in a moment and decide to be happy.
I know what happiness is for me and I know that the outside world cannot take it away!
It is me being my true self. A spiritual being, unique and full of amazing qualities that let me be, do and create great things in this world.
I also know this place called happiness is full of love and not fear.
When a person is not happy, I think it is because they chose to believe something that was not true and they became fearful. This fear led them away from their core values; the ones that make their heart sing.
Here are some quotes on happiness from some well-known authors throughout the years:
Most people are as happy as they make up their minds to be.
Abraham Lincoln
Very little is needed to make a happy life; it is all within yourself, in your way of thinking.
Marcus Aurelius Antoninus
When one door of happiness closes, another opens, but often we look so long at the closed door that we do not see the one that has been opened for us.
Helen Keller
The foolish man seeks happiness in the distance, the wise man grows it under his feet.
James Oppenheim
Thousands of candles can be lighted from a single candle, and the life of the candle will not be shortened. Happiness never decreases by being shared.
Buddha
Take some time to think about the times you were truly happy.
- What were you doing?
- How old were you?
- What thoughts did you have about yourself and life?
Ask yourself what is true and what is false about your happiness.
Is it a place to get to or can you get there now by changing your thought and perspective on what you see and feel?
Please send an email or comment on my blog the answers or thoughts you have on this newsletter and take advantage of my offer for a complimentary one-on-one session to see how Life Coaching can change your life.
With appreciation and love,
Terry Sidford, CPC
terrysidford@createyourlifecoaching.net
801.971.5039