The
Hunt for Happiness
By Matthew Williams
By Matthew Williams
Before we get started…Good Luck! I say this not as a nuance that you are never going to
find happiness, but as a notion that this is a life long journey—one that does
not end when you think you have found it. But once you’ve found it, working to
keep it will probably show how elusive it can be. With that said, I am going to
share something so you can truly grasp the idea of what I mean when I say a
life long journey.
I sought some spiritual guidance from someone of
prominence in my church. After our conversation, he looked at me and said, “You
want eternal happiness? Then say, ‘Jesus,
I trust in you’ and say it until you mean it. Until you truly believe it and live it.” I believed, so I thought—no
big deal. It was not until after leaving that meeting when the dread fell over
me like an avalanche of guilt and sorrow.
People
have died in pursuit of the very thing I was told to do.
Talk about a reality check! Religious or not, one can appreciate the magnitude
of my grief when this hit me: I will never achieve happiness. Simply
put! That was until I realized my source
of happiness, which we can save for later. However, know this: everyone’s
source of happiness is different. It can be your faith, your children or
grandchildren, family, friends, artistic abilities…the point is that it changes
for everyone and at different stages of your life, both physically and
emotionally.
According to the Society
of Happy People
there
are 31 different types of happiness.
YES—31 types! But, what is happiness and what does it look like? Happiness, by
definition, is the state of being happy and this can take many forms. Think of
something you enjoy. Does it bring a smile to your face, butterflies to your
stomach, or maybe just a sense of fulfillment? That is, in reality, happiness!
It’s everywhere and highly contagious. It is up to us—you and me—to find it.
In one of our previous blog posts, we discussed how ATTENTION is the Essential Ingredient
for success. When we succeed at something, it tends to make us happy. By paying
attention to our goals and leaving the distractions at the door, we get that
much closer to what makes us happy. However, what do we do when we find it (“It”
being happiness)? One of the things that I personally believe in, is to simply
nurture it and live in the moment, soaking in all the goodness that it brings
in your life. Remember two things: 1) Happiness is what we make of it. We are in charge of our happiness—nobody
else—and what we do with it is our own choosing. 2) Happiness is a life long
journey. It will ebb and flow, and that is ok.
January
15th-21st is the HUNT FOR HAPPINESS WEEK!
Yes, a whole week dedicated to happiness. One way or another, it is my mission
this week to help share happiness with all of you. So in the comments of this
blog post, I will be sharing some funny moments from my own life and trust me,
when you come from a rather large family, there is always a story or two to
tell. Along with this, I will be posting links to fun little activities you can
do and share with your families. Just remember this—happiness is everywhere. It
is all around us, and we need to make the most of what life brings to us. If
you can smile just once a day, then you are one step closer to becoming the
person who you were made to be!
~Be quick to
listen, slow to speak and slow to anger~
My Happiness:I was speaking to a colleague of mine, and asked her what made her happy. Her response mirrored in a way, what makes me happy. I said earlier I would disclose what that was. While I love my family, friends, and my faith, what truly makes me happy is knowing I made a difference in someone else’s life. No matter how big or small, to know that I touched someone’s life for the better. This reminds me that my time here will not be for nothing. At the end of the day, I can say, “Jesus I trust in you, to love people, as you love me!”
Apologies for the delay in posting. Technical issues are funny that way BUT ALAS! We are here, and since we are three days behind schedule I have 3 activities for you in your hunt for happiness.
ReplyDeleteThis week I want to focus on one thing. Your Life! After all Happiness is a Life Long Journey. So lets get started.
1) Lets start with something super super easy. Greet each morning with a smile and tell your self, even will your self, to say "TODAY, WILL BE A GOOD DAY!" Then at the end of the day, no matter how it turned out, tell yourself, "TODAY, WAS A GOOD DAY." Why is this important? Easy, words have power. Dont believe me, think back when someone said something not so good to you, how did you feel? Not so good I bet. So lets change how we greet each day! With a smile and a positive attitude. Both of which are contagious in their own way.
I promised 3, so lets move onto Numero Dos! 2 in Spanish!
ReplyDelete2) Now that we have gotten you out of bed with a smile. Lets change up that wardrobe a bit. This may sound really funny, but someone once said, dress for the job you want not the job you have! Well Happiness is our job! We all have that go to "set" of everyday clothing rather it be work or casual. In business, you usually stick with the neutral (bland) colors, at least that's what the guy at Men's Warehouse told me. Switch it up, bring some color in your life. COLOR IS HAPPINESS! Think about how you feel when its dingy and grey out! Pittsburgh is notorious for this. Now think about a nice warm day, sun is out, birds chirping, all those warm colors. Makes you feel good. Color is Happiness. So switch up the wardrobe a little bit, and make yourself feel special. Its simple, takes no time, and could have an amazing impact on not only you, but everyone around you. I for one wore my special Loony Tunes tie today! Same tie, I wore to High School and College Graduation!
Number 3 with more to come!
ReplyDeleteTake a different route. Change up that routine a bit. By nature, we love routine. Its predicable and we know what to expect. but guess what!? Routine can also lead to disappointment as it lends it self to very little excitement in our lives. So lets bring back that excitement! If you walk around the neighborhood, change your route to experience different sites. If you walk alone, walk with a friend or vice versa. If you prefer to drive. GO! Just drive, and experience what the world has to offer. I for one, have several different routes I take to work, simply to have different things to experience on the way. This works for just about everything I do. But the one thing, that is always part of my routine (weather permitting) I always stop, and look at the sunset, and thank God, for such a beautiful masterpiece! See somethings in your routine maybe positive, but it is up to us, to weed out the distractions that keep us from seeing what truly matters in our lives! Happiness is every changing, thus your routine should always change course in your pursuit for happiness!
See you all tomorrow! Happy Hunting!
Number 4...
ReplyDeleteTime for yourself. I know this is easier said than done. Especially with everything and everyone that is pulling us in every other direction. However, we need to remember that we need time carved out of the day for yourself. What you do with that time is also important. For me, I always carve out some time toward the end of the evening, before bed time. This not only gives me a chance to unwind and decompress, but it also allows me to have some time to enjoy the things I like to do. Yes I am 29 years old and like to color. Believe it or not it is very therapeutic. In fact, they have adult coloring books that specialize in stress relief and other mental behavioral coping aspects. Other thing I use my time for is devotionals, and just time to read.
This time though can take many different forms for different people. Some prefer shopping therapy, others prefer more secluded ways of spending time on themselves. The important thing is, to stop, unplug yourself for a while from the worl (yes that means no facebook) and breathe in that fresh oxygen. Breathe in that life. After all, the mere fact we have life is a gift and one that should be cherished and molded to perfection. Happiness can be found with in ourselves as well, just need to know where to look.
See you tomorrow! Bring your calendars and pens! I have a big activity for you tomorrow! You wont be disappointed.
So here we are... The final day! I hope your week has been marvelous. I pray you have found some happiness during this week. If not, continue to work at it. As I've said, it takes work, and will not happen over night! In fact our final activity is a commitment for at least a year, well a little less.
ReplyDeleteFor your final activity, is one you can do alone or with family. For this, you will need two items, a pen/pencil and a calendar. Over the course of 2017, I of course want you to be happy. More importantly, I want you to see you can be happy. So, for the remainder of the year, for each day, I want you to write something that makes you happy. This can of course, be in general, or what has made you happy on that particular day. I understand this is a bit of commitment. However, at the end of the year, you should begin to see a pattern on what makes you happy and where you can find it.
I personally will have you all in my thoughts and prayers, in hopes that you all can find your happiness. Happy Hunting!