Can You Make Yourself Happy?

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Theme: Happiness in Life

“It’s not what happens to you. It’s how you deal with what happens to you.” -Victor Frankl

When you feel disillusioned or depressed, it can seem impossible to change your mood. Happiness can seem like a prize that other people were given and you were cheated out of. It may appear that the circumstances of your life are preventing you from being happy, while someone else’s circumstances allow him or her to be happy. You might be saying to yourself, “If only I had xyz (more money, better looks, a better job, a family of my own, a different family, a different body…), I would be happy.”

Unfortunately, and it is an epidemic in the Western world, many of us have been conditioned to think that happiness is something you are given, or that can be acquired. We’re taught by either our families or by the culture at large that happiness is something that you can do or acquire. Yes, you can cheer yourself up for a period of time by going out and doing something enjoyable or distracting yourself, but it does not produce a long-term state of happiness. Why? Because…

Happiness Is a Noun, Not a Verb

Happiness is not something that you can do or that you can acquire. You can’t, by force of will or though any other external means, “become happy.” It is never an end unto itself. There is no reality in the statement, “If I do this or have this, I will be happy.” Rather: Happiness is a state of being, and therefore a noun. You cannot pursue it. It comes to you if you have the right attitude and if you do one crucial thing.

First, Change Your Attitude Toward Happiness

To change your attitude, switch the word “content” with “happy.” You can exist in a state of contentedness without everything around you being perfect. When you are content, you can face hardships with a can-do attitude; you can experience both joy and sadness without losing your equilibrium. When you are content, you feel that you have all you need inside of yourself to thrive, even in the face of challenges.

Second, the One Crucial Thing You Have to Do

Contentedness (otherwise known as “real, lasting happiness”) requires one thing: Shifting your focus off of yourself and onto others. Shift your focus away from your needs and your commodities — because it’s not about how much you have or what you want — it’s about your attitude. Happiness is the domain of those who don’t take themselves too seriously, who realize that there is a cause greater than themselves and dedicate themselves to that. The end result of a life of giving is lasting happiness. 

Exercise: Think of one thing in your life that you don’t have, and that you think you would be happy if you would have. Make a searching and fearless list of all of the ways that you are approaching this issue selfishly. Share your list with a trusted friend, mentor, or teacher. Then turn your attention toward someone you can help.


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All content about Happiness in Life: Happiness in Life Without Money | Happiness Is Your Essence

Go deeper into this subject: The Counter-intuitive Secret to Happiness | Joy and Depression | Joy Amidst Turmoil | Bad Mood Remedy: Commitment to a Cause

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Anonymous
6 years ago

A question:

There is no doubt that an other centered approach is necessary to be truly happy. But is it enough? Does one who loses a loved one such as a spouse or child truly capable of happiness, no matter how much purpose, refinement, and other centered focus one attains? Does one who faces foreclosure or eviction capable of contentment so long as the danger of homelessness prevails? Does one who has a rebellious child, or one suffering from debilitating addictions or serious illness capable of contentment no matter how focused he/she is in saving that child (so long as the addiction or illness persists)? Does one who suffers from infertility and desperately wants a child capable of happiness as long as the condition prevails?

While many no doubt become better people as a result of adversity, more focused, more full of purpose, more other directed, etc. it seems that happiness and contentment may still be elusive. And while there are no doubt lofty souls who achieve contentment regardless of the challenges — we can be in awe of such people — what of the ordinary individual? The crux of the matter is this. Being other centered may be a necessary pre-requisite for finding happiness. But, at least for most of us, isn’t a degree of stability in life circumstances also necessary? I am asking because I truly want to know.

esandi gamage
5 years ago

being happy is everything .anything can make you happy but the most important thing is that being happy too much is bad as said by the poet Rudyard kippling “you should have triumph and disaster but choose both these impostors the .this was taught to me by my lit teacher (Mrs. Elizabethan ) of seventh grade.we should have happiness but we should not go to the extremes of it and when your sad ,do not go to the extremes of that too or else you will fall into bad trouble and rather than being happy or sad you will get even sadder which is going to make you cry.so as a life lesson and keep in mind that be happy ,enjoy life but there is a limit for everything and if you do cross that nothing will come to your mind but sadness.
from esandi gamage

shyamala jayaram
5 years ago

I agree with your statement.

What really means by “Other centric”. When we think of the difficulties and experiences which some of the people may be going through than ours, there can be a better understanding of what is “Happiness”

Secondly going through NLP/affirmations/Emotional Freedom Technique, you slowly start getting into a positive frame of mind because one sees light and hope and transformation within themselves. Ones become confident to face the world and is now sure of result and so this way of doing also ensures contentment. The rest of the world cease to exist and you do not pursue happiness because you are now happy already.

shyamala jayaram
5 years ago

I agree with your remarks.

In order to understand that if you are happy, things will automatically work out. So for that one has to draw the sad from the well of sadness towards happiness. Take him/Her through NLP/affirmations/Emotional Freedom technique when he realises that what makes him happy. He is more confident now because he is sure that result will be there. Anytime one is sad, you can look over to your affirmations and leave the rest to god. Things change dramatically. Let us face the reality of the world. There are competitions, jealousy, anger, negative vibes. To stay strong, one needs to do the affirmations. Rest will fall in place. One has to shift the mind to solution mode, rather than problematic mode, which is what most people are not aware.

Wife
1 year ago

Love this 😀

Anthony Brian Mallgren
5 years ago

Surrendering myself to something larger than myself is a good point for me; I do grow somewhat frustrated when I don’t sense acknowledgement though.

Also, I think there is a typo in ‘Happiness Is a Noun, Not a Verb’; I think,

You can’t, by force of will or though any other external means

should be,

You can’t, by force of will or through any other external means

Cheers

The Meaningful Life Center