Wednesday, May 12, 2010

Happiness

Thousands of candles can be lit from a single candle, and the life of the candle will not be shortened. Happiness never decreases by being shared. - Buddha...

How do we share happiness? I think the first step is to define what happiness is and that is not an easy step and one that we have been wrestling with for, I suspect, thousands of years. Some ideas that have, over the years, shaped by thinking on this topic follow.
First, have the attitude that the glass half full rather than a glass half empty as you explore the day to day activities of life
Second, trust that people have good intentions, (sometimes not great delivery of those intentions) trust that people are good, most of the time.
Third, when you have to make a decision, make your list pros and con's talk to people weigh the evidence or whatever you have to do then trust your instincts. 9.5 times out of 10 you will be right.
Fourth, build close personal relationships that are meaningful to you and try to stay connected to the people that you feel close to
Fifth, put on a happy face, smile or force a smile when you dealing with people that you are having difficulties with and remember that people are good most of the time and just trying to get by
Sixth, learn to  listen to the voice in your head that says the good things about you and life--this voice is hard to hear sometimes because it is being drowned out, at times, by all of the other voices telling us how wrong, lazy or bad we are.
Seventh, be content with who you are in the moment but have the courage to dream about what you soon will be
Eighth, hold the assumption that the world is yours for the asking
Ninth, remember the song we're were for a good time, not a long time. Life is short, and for some of us life is getting shorter so let the "good times roll"
Tenth, life involves taking risks most of them will end positively. Some will not, that's what defines risk, but if you don't take risks, you will be at your death bed, thinking what if .... and you want to be there thinking what's next?

Once you learn to be happy then you can start to light the candles and spread the joy and your candle when it goes out, will have benefited many others. Boomers are about taking risks and enjoying life, seniors are about waiting for the end of days, I'm a Boomer not a senior, don't worry be happy!

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