Joy & Happiness

How Can I Be Happy?

Finding how to be happy is difficult and sometimes impossible to maintain without peace. As mentioned in our article; "Peace in Chaos," peace and joy come from within. Also read "Inner Peace." Do not allow external events and circumstances totally control your feelings. Your feelings are a choice. You must change the false belief that you are helpless to feelings. You choose your feelings. I can prove it to you.

Imagine that I walk up to you and hit you in the face hard enough to knock you down. Now you have a choice. You can feel hurt, cry, and ask; "Why?" You could get angry, stand up and hit me back. Or...you could smile at me, be very happy, and say from your heart; "Thank you so much!" Think for a moment. Why would you thank me? Let's look again at what happened. I hit you and you are laying on the ground. You look over and see that a huge dead spider. You realize that I was hitting and killing the spider on your face to save your life. So, you are filled with joy and say: "Thank you so much!"

Okay. The same event seen from different perspectives changes the meaning of that event and the feelings that were experienced. You choose your feelings. Some feelings are re-triggered from previous similar experiences. However, these feelings were also chosen at the time of the event, recorded, and programmed into your brain to resurface in the future automatically. Some feelings are triggered even when we have consciously forgotten the original events that programmed them into us. Exploring these events and becoming aware of them is one way of reprogramming your reactions.

Steps Towards Happiness

So what are some steps to take action and walk towards more joy and happiness? Develop your sense of humor. Laughter and happiness are linked to a longer, healthier life. (see:"Becoming Younger") Start adding more happy topics in your inner dialogs; start seeing past memories from a more happy, positive angle; start looking around you and practice seeing the good things in this world around and within you. Just as when you were a child exploring the world around you with amazement and admiration, you can think this way again. Find this joyful outlook within you and practice it. It took time and many repetitions to get negative thoughts to dominate you, your feelings, and your life; reverse this process. Listen to uplifting, motivational, peaceful music more often. Watch more movies that bring feelings of joy to you. Speak more positively about the world and people around you. Practice choosing your feelings. Don't auto-react; respond with chosen feelings. This new habit may be difficult at first, but with practice you can do it. Choose to see and live within a more joy filled and happy life. Do more of the productive things in your life that bring you happiness.