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Finding Happiness
I was searching the web recently and discovered that “finding happiness” is one of the most common search phrases typed into Google. This discovery got me thinking. Is happiness something you really “find”?
After pondering this question for some time (and yes, these are the sorts of things about which I ponder) I came to the conclusion that the answer is “yes”. But I also came to realising that the “find” is not permanent. Its not like acquiring a new car, or TV, or anything for that matter - which you then have to keep for ever. Rather, happiness is something you need to find, and then re-find, every day (if not every minute or every hour or every day).
Its like getting fit. You can’t go to the gym or go for a run or walk once and expect to be fit for every. You will become fit, however, it you exercise every day (or at least 4-5 times each week). And it’s the same with happiness. You can’t do some happiness inducing thing and expect to be happy for every. You will be happy, however, if you do happiness things every day, regularly, religiously.
So go forth and find happiness…but then be prepared to find it again, and again, and again…
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on Wednesday, September 14th, 2005 at 1:21 pm and is filed under Happy Tips.
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September 14th, 2005 at 11:11 pm
I’d like to extend what you said doc happy…..
You can’t assume that being happy is easy, either. It may just take a lot of effort.
Also, I don’t know if you can say that you “find” happiness ……. something is out there that has the potential to make you happy, but you have to make the conscious decision that you’ll be happy.
eg. after a game of tennis, 2 players each find 1/2 a glass of coke on the table.
They “found” a potential souce of happiness. One becomes happy at the thought that there’s something cold and sweet to drink. The other starts whinging that it’s only 1/2 glass and it’s not cold enough for him.
Now that I think of it doc happy, maybe you mean “find” to be when you search your brain for a happy way to interpret something, and you “find” the happy way……… is this what you meant?
But I’m glad you posted this as it just goes to show that happiness iosn’t something that comes without work.
One question doc happy - are there any disabilities that make people chronically happy? What about the one where they just laugh all the time (there’s a disability like this, isn’t there??) sorry ……. my mind wandering again! but i’m not complaining……. i’m happy that it wanders!
October 13th, 2005 at 4:46 pm
When you say ‘Finding Happiness’ it reminds me of something from The Tao of Pooh. Christopher Robin says, “Pooh, what’s your favourite thing?” to which Pooh immediately replied “Honey.”
“That’s a fine thing,” says Christoper Robin, but Pooh has changed his mind. “My favourite thing is the moment BEFORE honey!!”
It’s like when you ask people, ‘what do you want?’ and they reply “Happiness.” Imagine if we were able to give people happiness, that moment of joy, that bliss, and they could carry it around like Pooh’s pot of honey. Would that make them happy? Would it be their favourite thing, like Pooh and his honey, that they are about to experience happiness and what a joy it will be!
Or would that be different to actual happiness? Because they weren’t actually experiencing it, they were merely anticipating it?
Imagine if we all walked around suspecting that happiness was just around the corner. Without doubt, without cynicism, without fear. Oh sorry, perhaps I am confusing that with faith…..