The word happy...well it got me to thinking about happiness. In a post I wrote several months ago I mentioned that I would write some thoughts about having a positive attitude. I have never written that post but here is a start on it.
Having a positive attitude consists of several things one of which is the state of being happy. Here is a question for you, does happiness result in being positive or does being positive result in happiness?
I think being positive is one essential ingredient of happiness. Perhaps for one to attain happiness it takes several ingredients - is there a recipe for happiness?
The listing for happiness in Wikipedia a free online encyclopedia is: Happiness is an emotional or affective state that is characterized by feelings of enjoyment and satisfaction. As a state and a subject, it has been pursued and commented on extensively throughout world history. This reflects the universal importance that humans place on happiness. Well I guess that is why a Google search of the word happiness resulted in 67,300,000 hits.
Alternative words for happiness listed in a thesaurus include, contentment; pleasure; gladness; cheerfulness; joy; and delight. And, each of these alternative words has a list of their own alternative words. Among these words, contentment means something to me and one of its alternative words – satisfaction.
I find happiness in being with my family; and in activities like cooking, eating, and shopping; and it made me very happy to see a beautiful sky this past Sunday following Saturday evening’s rain. But tonight I am thinking of the deeper meaning of happiness not things or events that bring temporary happiness to us.
Can one achieve true happiness without also being positive, satisfied and content? How can people facing dire circumstances be happy?
In addition to these questions I have posed to you, I will leave you with some of my favorite quotes.
Proverbs 15:15b … the cheerful heart has a continual feast. And 17:22 A cheerful heart is good medicine, but a crushed spirit dries up the bones.
Happiness cannot be traveled to, owned, earned, worn or consumed. Happiness is the spiritual experience of living every minute with love, grace and gratitude. Denis Waitley
Happiness will never come to those who fail to appreciate what they already have. Anonymous
Many persons have the wrong idea of what constitutes true happiness. It is not attained through self-gratification but through fidelity to a worthy purpose. Helen Keller
It is not the place, nor the condition, but the mind alone that can make anyone happy or miserable. Roger L'Estrange
Many people think that if they were only in some other place, or had some other job, they would be happy. Well, that is doubtful. So get as much happiness out of what you are doing as you can and don't put off being happy until some future date.
Dale Carnegie
...for I have learned to be content whatever the circumstances. I know what it is to be in need, and I know what it is to have plenty. I have learned the secret of being content in any and every situation, whether well fed or hungry, whether living in plenty or in want. I can do everything through him who gives me strength. Paul, Philippians 4:11-13
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