Across from me on the plane, a woman was reading a book with a title that caught my eye and a message that perked my interest. Emblazoned across the book, whose author remains unknown to me were the words, “Happiness is a Choice”.
How could that be? Considering all the tragedies and disasters that preclude happiness as a choice? I recalled the words of another sage who said, “it’s not what happens to you in life, but what’s inside of you that counts.”
Happiness is our birthright; we have been endowed with a limitless supply of all that we need to be at peace with ourselves and the world. The challenge is to expand our consciousness to recognize and accept the infinite riches and abundant life to which we are heirs . We may choose to see lack and limitations, or bountifulness and prosperity. We can choose to perceive the glass as half empty or half full. We can beat up on ourselves for mistakes or accept the lesson and throw away the experience.
The following tips may be applied for finding your happiness quotient;
* Free yourself from the craving of acceptance. What people think of you is a part of their evolution, not yours. You do not have to be long suffering or appeasing. You do not have to be manipulated or respond to the demands of others. Stand in your own truth and you will find lasting peace and independence.
* Nurture your spirituality. See your life as an expression of the Infinite power of a force greater than yourself. There are no mistakes, only lessons. Everything you experience is for your greater good. It is through spiritual growth that we are able to reclaim total control of our lives.
* Do not buy into the “razz ma tazz”- the glitter of jewelry, fast cars and designer clothes. Rather, seek substance through prayer, meditation and soul searching.
* Remember the irrefutable law of “Karma”. What goes around, comes around”. Perpetuate gossip and you will be a victim of the same. Do good and you will be a reciprocator of the same. Life is give and take, actions and consequences.
* Universal law cooperates with your belief system. If you think you can, you can!! And, vice versa. The universal law is impartial. It will give you whatever you are willing to accept as part of your life.
There are no accidents, happenstance or quirks of fate, only divine manifestation of our choices.
Dr. Laura Lyons was selected for Who’s Who Among Business Women in America in 2009. Master motivator and author of “Lyons’ Guide to the Career Jungle”, she is available for consultation at [email protected].
I do not know what was written in that book entitled “Choose Happiness”, but I am sure that it is not happiness that keeps us going in Life. What keeps us going in Life is Spiritual Strength, better known as Joy and Peace.
Joy and Peace is totally different from happiness. When I used to drink beer, after two or three of them and taking part in a Domino game with my friends, while listening to some calypso or reggae music, I used to feel like the happiest person in the world. But on Monday morning I would wake up suffering from one of those blues, like not having a job to go. The happiness that I was feeling last night or over the weekend could not last to help me overcome those blues.
Happiness is not a spiritual fulfillment; in that it comes and goes. We do not know when it will come and we do not know when it will go away. That is the reason people can laugh themselves to death. It has happened in the past.
A person who wins a large sum of money will experience much happiness, in that, that money will give him/her freedom to do anything that he/she wants in Life, as far as financial resource is concerned. But that person would have to live for the rest of his/her Life with no emotional pain, no sickness, and all of the human afflictions that money cannot heal.
Happiness would not remain in that person’s life to cause him/her to continuously demonstrate the Life of abundance that Jesus came to bring to us through Love. All the bills are paid, there is lots of food to eat, the car is in the garage, a vacation is already paid for, all of these are reasons for a person to feel happy. But will this happiness last forever? Definitely not,
In that case, happiness is not even a choice. Why would a person choose something that he/she has no control over.
But we can choose Joy and Peace, and when we have received this two states of Life, they remain with us forever. For Joy and Peace is of the stature, Love, and Love is the core of God Himself. This means that Joy and Peace is from God, who is Spirit, and when God has joined you with His Spirit you are bonded in Love forever and ever. That indeed, is a choice we make by faith. And God is faithful and true to His promises.
With the state of Joy and Peace, it does not matter what is taking place in our lives, we have the Strength of God that teaches to banter. And by faith we always have victory–the ecstasy of Joy and Peace.
Very Nice. I like.