Do you have psychic powers


The Paradox of Happiness

What is the definition of 'happiness?' Is itmore aggrivation. So, is happiness honestly
material wealth filled with fancy cars, ajust  comprised  of  'things?'
dream house, extravagant furs and jewelry? Or
is happiness simply having a roof over yourSometimes, we virtually trade our lives for
head? Food in the fridge? Having a child? Anot only basic necessities, but for excessive
pet? A swimming pool? A designer Gucci bag?items and services as well. We become so
Parents? Grandchildren? Love? Money? Theobcessed with finding happiness, that we lose
perfect  job?  Winning  the  Lottery?sight of the fact that happiness is within -
always. Certainly you've heard of individuals
According to the American Heritage(R)trying to 'find themselves,' or 'rediscover
Dictionary, 'happiness' is derived from thethemselves...' The reason they are attempting
Middle English word hap - meaning 'Luck.' Butthese innovative approaches is because they
does happiness really have anything to doare seeking inner happiness. But the point
with 'luck?' Based on this description, onehas  been missed: Happiness is already there.
could assume that if you avoided a fatal
traffic accident but got fired by coming lateDisappointments and tragedies in life will
to work, you would be filled withcome and go, but happiness never leaves you.
'happiness?' Is it luck or what you make ofThe human's capacity to be resilient to
it? Maybe, 'happiness' is exactly defined bytrials is unfathomable. We can lose our jobs,
its indirect alias: happ iness - perhaps,but be grateful for our spouses. We can lose
happiness is in fact defined by the fortuneour homes to nature, but be thankful to be
that  we  permit  to  happen.alive.
Do you recall a time....ah, let's say whenSpiritually speaking, there's a saying that
you were about 5 years old - what defined'God only gives what one can take.' Whether
happiness back then? Was it getting a puppyit be God, Allah, Budah, or Jesus Christ -
for Christmas? Or maybe, you were a child ofthe basic precept remains the same: Survival.
divorce; and all you wanted was for Mom andWe survive, we overcome, we live. And
Dad to get back together again? Then as youhappiness is a big part of how we live.
got older, you were hoping that someone wouldYou'll hear gamblers spending their last
ask you to the prom...that would've made yourchange, all the while praying to God,
day, maybe your life...for the moment. During'....please, God - just this one last
college, good grades made you happy, but ittime....if I win, I'll never ask you for
was short-lived. Because in the real world,another thing.' And sometimes, we, ourselves
you had to look for a job, and competitionhave been in situations where we've asked for
was stark. It's an employer's world....youthings, like, '....God, if you let me have
thought. But then, you got the perfect job -this job, I won't bother you again..." and we
now  you  could  be  happy  -  or  could you?know that this is further from the truth. We
ritualistically begin bartering with the
Life requires more than just what we want.Higher Power, or we utter constant complaints
Inevitably, one must understand to truly findof unhappiness and despair, because we can't
'happiness,' he must make his own happinesshave  our  ways.
'happen.' Sounds a bit redundant, but
truthfully, there is no set guidelines thatAgain you see that happiness is a perception
will bring one happiness. There is no 'magicof each individual. We are instinctively
wand' we can wave to bring joy into ourcompelled to find fault in our lives. By
lives. Human nature thrives on the thrill ofhuman nature, we begin our 'fault-finding'
the chase. We dream and we hope for the nextmission the moment we're capable of
big break - it is the grand adventure offree-thinking. It is then, that we lose sense
living.of self-worth and the bigger picture of
vitality altogether. Stuck in the patterns of
We are hopeless creatures of comfort. We likethe happiness paradox, we simply cannot find
having and accumulating things. Whether onewhere  our  happiness  has  gone.
admits to it or not, to a certain degree, we
all try to keep up with 'the Jones.' We workIt's not a matter of bargaining, it's not an
so we can pay our rents, mortgages, creditissue of money or fame - instead, happiness
card debts, school loans, car payments...theis what you resolve to accept. If we live
list goes on and on. And at some point, wethrough optimistic hope; if we dare to dream;
realize, that aside from having most of whatif we empower ourselves to fully live; then
we want, we still aren't happy. Now sincewe have regained our sense of happiness.
we've learned to adapt to new standards whichThere is no in between. There is no other
we've created for ourselves, we find that wereplacement. We only have one physical life
have less time, less patience, less sleep,to live - we have no choice but to make the
which equates to more stress, more worry andmost of it. We might as well live happy.



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