HAPPINESS LIFE: SELF-AWARENESS- ATTITUDES-ACCEPTANCE-PURPOSE-THOUGHTS
HAPPINESS LIFE: SELF-AWARENESS- ATTITUDES-ACCEPTANCE-PURPOSE-THOUGHTS
Happiness
Happiness is a state of mind. It cannot be bought or sold but is achieved or attained by the way we live our life. And the way we live our life depends on the choices we make in life. We have no choice but to accept lite. But, we do have a choice- HOW to accept life, how we should live our lives, and how we should respond in lite.
The power of thought and knowledge is unique to human beings.
The Creator probably expects that we use our unique powers creatively. The creative use of our uniqueness Would imply that we reasonably reason, thoughtfully think and learn from experience. Based on reason and experience, we formulate certain maxims which serve as guidelines that would help lead us to our goal.
Human beings do not lack knowledge of the how, what, where, when, and why of life.
The problem lies, not in lack of a solution, nor knowledge, but EXECUTION. Just as the cow in a textbook does not eat grass, the knowledge of our minds, unless it is executed, produces no result.
However, change should come first in our attitude. The change in attitude will naturally lead to a change of lifestyle. The purpose of this book is to help form a realistic and practical attitude towards life, so that we live our life more lively, nobly, and happily.
LIFE
The Most Precious Gift Lite is the most precious gift we have received from the Giver of life. The worth of life is such that we would not mind sacrificing our principles, convictions, and even part of our body just to preserve life. The purpose of life is not just its preservation, but to live it happily and more meaningfully.
To be happy in life and to live it more meaningfully, we must know more of its what, why, and how.
Reflections on Life Life has a purpose- A life without a purpose is meaningless, worthless, and monotonous. The purpose of life is to live for something greater than itself-to make some difference to the world around you.
Life has a mission-
The mission in life is to fulfill the purpose for which you are created. You have the responsibility to find it out and fulfill it. In the process of fulfilling it, you become what you are made for.
Life is meaningful
– It would be more correct to say that you have to find meaning in your life than to say that life has meaning. This is possible only when life is lived at the service of others. life is short- No one lives forever. But a life lived nobly is always long enough even if it is short. A short life is also long enough to ruin it if you so wish. There is no second chance to live your life.
Life has no security-
There is no security in life because life is always in the process of changing and full of contradictions: suffering holds for you. You do not know what life is difficult-Life is full of contradictions, illness, obstacles, and security. So, vo gracefully accept all that change whatever can be changed for the better, You cannot be changed.
Plan of Action: Accept life joyfully
You must accept life’s precious gift from God. God does not have the choice to accept or reject Ife. Our choice lies in the way you do it. Take responsibility for life-Your life is in your hands. to make or to break.
Your background, culture, and customs may have influenced and conditioned you, but you are responsible for what you become. Have a big and noble cause to live for When the cause is big and noble, it challenges you to make the maximum use of your potential.
Choose to make a difference-
You can effect changes in the world because you are endowed with creativity and a thinking faculty. Therefore, it is your privilege and responsibility to leave a good impression on the world. Make your life useful- A Chinese proverb says, “When you were born, you cried, and the world rejoiced. Live your life in such a manner that when you die, the world cries and you rejoice. Be grateful to God-Be grateful to God for life with all its blessings.
ATTITUDES: The Powerful Weapon for Changing
Attitude is the way you perceive yourself, others, and the world. “There is little difference in people, but that little difference makes a big difference. The little difference is the difference in attitude. The big difference is whether the attitude is positive or negative,” says W. Clement Stone.
Reflections on Attitudes
Attitudes are unique- No two persons will have the same attitude. That is why different people respond to the same stimuli in the same circumstances differently.
The most important attitude is that which you have about yourself because it is always at play in your life. It is the mirror through which you perceive life.
Attitudes are more important than facts-
Attitudes have the potential to determine facts. Successes or failures in life are caused more by mental attitude than lack of talents and efficiency.
Attitudes determine your action or reaction Your action or reaction depends on your attitudes.
So, “the greatest discovery of today is that we can change our lives by changing our attitudes, says Albert Schweitzer.
Attitudes and health-
Healthy attitudes are essential to good health because healthy thoughts make for a healthy mind and a healthy body.
Plan of Action
Regulate thoughts Attitude which may come even uninvited, But attitudes are fruit thoughts But you do have welcome and foster only good and life-affirming.
Belief in the power of thought-
Your every that contributes to the ultimate destiny of your life you can succeed and you will succeed because can change the outcome of your life by changing your thoughts. freedom to train or repeat them.
Think about what you want to achieve-
Think in terms of what you want to accomplish in life and not of your present condition because the way you think today will affect your performance tomorrow. Choose to be with people.
Get interested in people who are enthusiastic and positive about life.
Make allowances for the frailties and weaknesses of others, without being influenced by their narrow-mindedness and negative thinking. Mind your language Take control of the words you speak because they affect your attitudes either positively or negatively.
AWARENESS: The Remedy for Meaninglessness
unaware life is not worth living,” said Socrates several centuries ago. Only when you are aware of yourself can you know other things because how you perceive things outside of you depends on how things are inside you.
Self-examination leads to self-awareness.
And self-awareness leads to self-improvement. Only they can make a difference in life who are aware of themselves, because “the day dawns only for those who are awake,” said A. Guilfoyle. Reflections on Self-awareness.
People do things in self-interest –
People do good things to please others so that they are pleased. You do things so that you may not feel bad for not having done them.
You ham yourself more than others ham you-
You do more harm to yourself by denying yourself the joys of life, like love, peace, acceptance, rest, etc. You harm yourself by nursing revenge, grudge, an unforgiving attitude, and so on. You do not let others see who you are- You put on different masks.
You pretend to be somebody other than who you are. You do not love or trust anyone You love only the ideal about a person. You only trust the idea about a person. You fall out of love and trust because your idea about that person changes.
You judge people wrongly-
You tend to judge yourself by what you are capable of becoming or doing, while based on whatever is on edge others.
You are irresistibly averse to change-
You are ready to think of something unfamiliar, Vo, even the unknown, but the loss of the known. done, fear not Plan of Action Be honest with yourself-
You must honestly accept what you are,
what you do want? There is one thing you can do better than anyone else you can be yourself. I Do not live to fulfill the expectations of others- You are always trying to live up to the expectations of others, wrongly presuming that you can be happy only when people think well of you.
Be alert and begin to observe – Be alert to all that goes on around you.
Observe everything closely and you will be overwhelmed by a sense of wonder and newness. Take time to look, listen and learn. Wake up Awaken to the mystery of life with its boundless possibilities.
Remind yourself that what lies before you and behind you are nothing compared to what lies within you.
SELF
The Foundation of Life Y our ‘self’ is the real you, which is different from an imaginary self or ego.
Ego creates its world of reality. Time and again, you become a victim of your ego.
There is a story told of ten students having a dip in the river. After the dip, one of them counted and found one was missing. Another student too counted, and the result was the same- one missing. A Guru, passing that way, counted and showed that all the ten were there. The disciple who counted first asked, “Oh, sage! Where is the tenth one?” The sage pointed to him and said, “Tatvam Asi!” thou art that. This story shows that often, the imaginary self hides the real self.
Reflections about Self and Ego
Self is real, ego is unreal-Ego is only your creation due to the various conditioning you have received in life from your parents, relatives, teachers, culture, media, etc. And, in your day-to-day life, the imaginary self appears more real than the Self.
Self is good and original, ego is deceptive Human beings, in their originality, are good and valuable. But, the imaginary self deceives you into believing that you are good and valuable because of your accomplishments, achievements, positions, and knowledge.
Ego causes suffering When one of your egocentric beliefs is threatened, you become furious and fearful. Every time you are hurt, remember that one of your ego beliefs is threatened.
Self leads us to love and acceptance-
Unconditional love and acceptance of self and others are possible only when you realize and recognize the self in you and others. Self and growth – You grOw only by letting yourself be seen than by pretending to be somebody else.
In fact, “we forfeit three-fourths of ourselves to be like other people,” said Schopenhauer. Plan of Action Knows yourself. You are good, valuable, and precious exactly the way you are, and not for what you do or for what you are going to be or might become. Be ever aware of the fact that you are neither superior nor inferior.
The feelings of superiority or inferiority are imaginary.
Do not create an ‘image’ for yourself- When there aren’t images, you have nothing to defend, justify and protect. Then you can remain unaffected by blame, criticism, and failure and be non-aggressive too.
Detach yourself from the ‘images’ created- Maintain a certain detachment towards the ‘images you have already created for yourself, because ‘images are punishments you inflict on yourself.
Find your unique gift and work at it-
You have something unique to offer to the world. Every human being has a task to carry out, duties to perform and an influence to exert that is unique.
Do not identify-
Do not identify yourself with your Work, position, and possessions, because they are but temporary. Live the way you are comfortable with, rather than force yourself to live the way others want you to.
Do not compare yourself with others- Comparison drains you of your enthusiasm and energy. You are unique. God made you so. God made you original and retain that originality.
ACCEPTANCE
A Basic Requirement for Happiness Oelt- acceptance is the state of being content with who you are. This is not easy as people always want, to hide certain things which they don’t like in themselves or others, But if you want to be happy, you must learn to be happy about who/what you are.
Reflections on Acceptance
Acceptance and relationships –Acceptance is the key to building relationships. When you accept and respect yourself, you experience the same from others too, When you feel accepted, you tend to reach out to people in relationships.
Self-acceptance and acceptance of others-
If you find it difficult to accept yourself as you are, you will find it difficult to accept others the way they are.
Self-acceptance and happiness Only those who accept themselves can be happy, and nothing can make them unhappy.
They are always in good company, and never lonely.
Self-acceptance and self-determination- When you accept yourself, you can do this without hate and think are appropriate and right, and you do not have to be pleasing.
Self-acceptance is a time-saver-When you accept yourself, you do not waste time regretting you were not somebody else. You do not have to take yourself too seriously. Self-acceptance is a great energy saver When you accept yourself, you find yourself feeling energetic and capable of doing much more than you do in life. Plan of Action Accepts the uniqueness of each person.
Realize and accept the fact that each person is unique.
Do not try to hide from others. Do not make an effort to be somebody else, so that you can be free from anxiety and tension. Avoid comparison-Comparison is unnecessary as you are unique. Comparison leads to unhealthy competition, self-pity, jealousy, and undue worry.
Do not judge-
Acceptance is tantamount to an understanding whereby you do not judge people by your own set of rules or to your standard, and you do not control, nor do you criticize or condemn yourself or others. Be gentle with yourself and with others-All of us who make mistakes, and repeatedly so!
Therefore, you must be a little kinder, and gentler towards the faults of yourself and others. replace negatives with positives-Think of yourself in positive terms. Equip yourself with healthier attitudes.
Look for what is good and express your wonder and appreciation for the same.
Remember that God loves you-
It is said that nobody would love you if they were to know the thoughts and intentions in your mind. But God, who knows even the innermost recesses of your heart, loves you exactly the way you are!
PURPOSE
The Motivating Power of Life It is said that “he who has a why to live for can bear almost any how”. Life without a purpose would be like a lamp without oil. It serves no purpose, rather it becomes a hindrance. Similarly, when you live your life without a purpose, you have nowhere to go, nothing to achieve, and nothing to live for.
Life then becomes miserable, meaningless, empty, and unhappy.
Reflections on Purpose
The complete life-Completion of life does not depend upon its length, but on what it was lived for, i.e., a noble purpose.
Purpose and meaning
Nobody just wants to exist but exists for something. When you have something to live for, life becomes beautiful, colorful, and meaningful.
Discern God’s plan for you-
God has a purpose for each of us, a task for each one to perform, and a place for each to fill. Fulfill the specific plan God has for you.
The purpose is a matter of economy-
The purpose is a great time-saver. When you have your purpose clear, at the time of decision-making. your choice becomes easy. You always choose only by your purpose.
The purpose is a commitment-
The purpose is an inner decision to commit yourself to whatever is best for you and others. The greatest purpose: love Love is the greatest It alone can give fulfillment. For those who love self-romance. self and others, life is a never-ending reality in the world.
Plan of Action /Have purpose use which lives you leaves a lasting good impression
Choose a mission after you have disappeared from the scene. Let your even influence be positive on everyone who comes n contact with you.
Live for a noble purpose
A purpose is noble when the pursuit gradually makes your face shine.
Purpose and right mean to achieve your purpose because the end in view does not always justify the means used.
Use the right means to r Have convictions based on values and principles When your convictions are good, they are strong. When they are strong, your desire to live up to them receives vitality. Correct the beliefs-
Believe that individuals are of Supreme worth, that right implies responsibility, that truth, and justice are essential for social order, and that service is your Common duty.
THOUGHTS
The Best Means to Mastery Th human mind is the cradle of creativity, transcendence, and thought. It is like a computer that furnishes you with ideas and solutions from the data you have fed into it.
Therefore, feed your mind with good, positive, elevating, constructive thoughts, and the outcome will be outstanding.
Reflections on Thoughts
Thinking is natural-Thinking is as natural to human beings as breathing. It is automatic and at times mechanical.
The power of thought-
Your every perception and experience is based on thought. Everything that happens in your life begins as a thought or with a thought.
Thoughts and progress
Thought is the source of progress. The thought gives rise to ideas. The future belongs to those who dare to think- think differently and daringly.
As someone has said, “No man ever made a great discovery without the exercise of the imagination.” Right thinking is right action Right action demands constructive thinking.
The human mind and thought-Depending on the thoughts you think, your mind becomes pure or impure, calm or troubled, responsive or reactive. While good thoughts make your mind pure, serene, and responsive, negative thoughts make it impure, anxious, and reactive.
Plan of Action: Understands the operation / your mind-
learn about how your mind works and the benefits you reap. understand the cause of bondage, then the mind The more you the greater your mind is the less mind is the cause of liberation as well.
Mastery of every your mind is possible Mastery of mind-
only when you understand the operation of your mind. Understanding leads to control. Then the mind, rather than the mind having you.
Consider thinking as an ability and not as a reality –
Ability is something over which you have Control. Thinking is an ability, because, even as you think the thought, you have the power to direct and control it.
Think ahead-
There is a famous saying, “Think twice before you act”! Forethought can often reveal the probable outcome of your action. Take time to think because a few situations are so urgent that you cannot spare a few moments before action.
Focus on the present-
Apply your mind to the present rather than recollecting the past and anticipating the future. Think happy thoughts -You will have observed that the happiest moments in your life were those when you thought the happiest thoughts. You are never sad if you were accompanied by happy thoughts.
Think constructive thoughts-
You are not responsible for all the thoughts that pass through your mind but only for that which you choose and entertain. 50, choose and play with constructive thoughts.
Think good thoughts-
As you sow, so you reap. So, SOW good seed and harvest a good crop. seeds are not sown, weeds will invade and reproaches their kind.