http://www.happinessisfree.weebly.com/


A collection of thoughts and inspirational ideas



Make the world happier by your presence in it


 

The more you give, the more you have. If you lose your life in the service of others, you will save it. You are rich in one respect - you have a spirit that is in exhaustible. Let no mean or selfish thought keep you from sharing this spirit. Of love, of help, of understanding and of sympathy, give and keep giving. Give your personal ease and comfort, your time, your money and most of all, yourself.

 

"You are a child of the universe ..."

Go placidly amid the noise and haste, and remember what peace there may be in silence. As far as possible without surrender be on good terms with all persons. Speak your truth quietly and clearly; and listen to others, even the dull and ignorant; they too have their story.

Avoid loud and aggressive persons, they are vexations to the spirit. If you compare yourself with others, you may become vain and bitter; for always there will be greater and lesser persons than yourself. Enjoy your achievements as well as your plans.

Keep interested in your own career, however humble; it is a real possession in the changing fortunes of time. Exercise caution in your business affairs; for the world is full of trickery. But let this not blind you to what virtue there is; many persons strive for high ideals; and everywhere life is full of heroism.

Be yourself. Especially, do not feign affection. Neither be cynical about love; for in the face of all aridity and disenchantment it is perennial as the grass.

Take kindly the counsel of the years, gracefully surrendering the things of youth.

Nurture strength of spirit to shield you in sudden misfortune. But do not distress yourself with imaginings. Many fears are born of fatigue and loneliness. Beyond a wholesome discipline, be gentle with yourself.

You are a child of the universe, no less than the trees and the stars; you have a right to be here. And whether or not it is clear to you, no doubt the universe is unfolding as it should.

Therefore, be at peace with God, whatever you conceive Him to be and whatever your labours and aspirations, in the noisy confusion of life keep peace with your soul.

With all its sham, drudgery and broken dreams, it is still a beautiful world. Be cheerful. Strive to be happy.


Written by Max Ehrmann in the 1920s --

NOT "Found in Old St. Paul's Church in 1692" 

Happiness is an emotion associated with feelings ranging from contentment and satisfaction to bliss and intense joy. A variety of philosophical, religious, psychological and biological approaches have been taken to defining happiness and identifying its sources.

Philosophers and religious thinkers have often defined happiness in terms of living a good life, or flourishing, rather than simply as an emotion. Happiness in this older sense was used to translate the Greek Eudaimonia, and is still used in virtue ethics. In everyday speech today, however, terms such as well-being or quality of life are usually used to signify the classical meaning, and happiness is reserved for the felt experience or experiences that philosophers historically called pleasure.

Happiness forms a central theme of Buddhist teachings, which focuses on obtaining freedom from suffering by following the Eightfold Path. In the Buddhist view, ultimate happiness is only achieved by overcoming craving in all forms. Aristotle saw happiness as "the virtuous activity of the soul in accordance with reason," or the practice of virtue. In Catholicism, the ultimate end of human existence consists in felicity, or "blessed happiness", described by the 13th-century philosopher-theologian Thomas Aquinas as a Beatific Vision of God's essence in the next life.[1] One psychological approach, positive psychology, describes happiness as consisting of positive emotions and positive activities.

While direct measurement of happiness is difficult, tools such as The Oxford Happiness Inventory have been developed by researchers. Physiological correlates to happiness can be measured through a variety of techniques, and survey research can be based on self-reported happiness levels.

Research has identified a number of correlates with happiness. These include religious involvement, parenthood, marital status, age and income. Happiness economics suggests that measures of public happiness should be used to supplement more traditional economic measures when evaluating how successful public policy is.

 

Happiness is:

Albert Schweitzer:
Success is not the key to happiness. Happiness is the key to success. If you love what you are doing, you will be successful.

Albert Schweitzer:
I don't know what your destiny will be, but one thing I do know: the only ones among you who will be really happy are those who have sought and found how to serve.

Aristotle:
Happiness belongs to the self-sufficient

Benjamin Disraeli:
Action may not always bring happiness, but there is no happiness without action.

Brother David Steindl-Rast :
Gratefulness is the key to a happy life that we hold in our hands, because if we are not grateful, then no matter how much we have we will not be happy -- because we will always want to have something else or something more.

Buddha:
Happiness comes when your work and words are of benefit to yourself and others.

Claude Monet:
The richness I achieve comes from Nature, the source of my inspiration.

Ecclesiastes:
For everything there is a season,
And a time for every matter under heaven:
A time to be born, and a time to die;
A time to plant, and a time to pluck up what is planted;
A time to kill, and a time to heal;
A time to break down, and a time to build up;
A time to weep, and a time to laugh;
A time to mourn, and a time to dance;
A time to throw away stones, and a time to gather stones together;
A time to embrace, And a time to refrain from embracing;
A time to seek, and a time to lose;
A time to keep, and a time to throw away;
A time to tear, and a time to sew;
A time to keep silence, and a time to speak;
A time to love, and a time to hate,
A time for war, and a time for peace.

Ecclesiastes 3:1-8

Edith Wharton:
If only we'd stop trying to be happy we'd have a pretty good time.

Ella Wheeler Wilcox:
The truest greatness lies in being kind, the truest wisdom in a happy mind.

Franklin D. Roosevelt:
Happiness is not in the mere possession of money; it lies in the joy of achievement, in the thrill of creative effort.

H.H. the Dalai Lama:
The basic thing is that everyone wants happiness, no one wants suffering. And happiness mainly comes from our own attitude, rather than from external factors. If your own mental attitude is correct, even if you remain in a hostile atmosphere, you feel happy.

HH the Dalai Lama:
When we feel love and kindness toward others, it not only makes others feel loved and cared for, but it helps us also to develop inner happiness and peace.

HH the Dalai Lama:
Consider the following. We humans are social beings. We come into the world as the result of others' actions. We survive here in dependence on others. Whether we like it or not, there is hardly a moment of our lives when we do not benefit from others' activities. For this reason it is hardly surprising that most of our happiness arises in the context of our relationships with others. If you want others to be happy, practice compassion. 

Helen Keller:
Happiness cannot come from without. It must come from within. It is not what we see and touch or that which others do for us which makes us happy; it is that which we think and feel and do, first for the other fellow and then for ourselves.

Helen Keller:
When one door of happiness closes, another opens; but often we look so long at the closed door that we do not see the one which has been opened for us.

Kalidasa:
Listen to the Exhortation of the Dawn!
Look to this Day!
For it is Life, the very Life of Life.
In its brief course lie all the
Verities and Realities of your Existence.
The Bliss of Growth,
The Glory of Action,
The Splendor of Beauty;
For Yesterday is but a Dream,
And To-morrow is only a Vision;
But To-day well lived makes
Every Yesterday a Dream of Happiness,
And every Tomorrow a Vision of Hope.
Look well therefore to this Day!
Such is the Salutation of the Dawn!

Leo Buscaglia:
What we call the secret of happiness is no more a secret than our willingness to choose life.

M. Scott Peck:
The truth is that our finest moments are most likely to occur when we are feeling deeply uncomfortable, unhappy, or unfulfilled. For it is only in such moments, propelled by our discomfort, that we are likely to step out of our ruts and start searching for different ways or truer answers.

Marcel Proust:
Let us be grateful to people who make us happy; they are the charming gardeners who make our souls blossom.

Margaret Bonnano:
It is only possible to live happily ever after on a day to day basis.

Mark Twain:
Whoever is happy will make others happy, too.

Martha Washington:
The greatest part of our happiness depends on our dispositions, not our circumstances.

Mohandas K. Gandhi:
Happiness is when what you think, what you say, and what you do are in harmony

Norman MacEwan:
Happiness is not so much in having as sharing. We make a living by what we get, but we make a life by what we give.

Ramona L. Anderson:
People spend a lifetime searching for happiness; looking for peace. They chase idle dreams, addictions, religions, even other people, hoping to fill the emptiness that plagues them. The irony is the only place they ever needed to search was within.

Robert Heinlein:
Love is a condition in which the happiness of another person is essential to your own.

Robert Louis Stevenson:
There is no duty we so underrate as the duty of being happy. By being happy we sow anonymous benefits upon the world.

Sophocles:
Wisdom is the supreme part of happiness.

Susan B. Anthony:
Independence is happiness.

LAKELAND STUDENTS   ROCK!!!

 

Life's Keys to Happiness

Sense of Humor
The ability to seek and find humor and laughter in any given situation is a gift you give yourself, but one that takes work. Let’s face it – life is funny with all of its quirks and contradictions, but it may not always seem so funny when you encounter a tough situation. However, the ability to gain a new perspective on a bad situation through humor is a real testament to our character. Look for the humor in everything and use it to gain new perspectives, to reduce stress and to make others smile.

Learn
Learning doesn’t end after you’re finished with high school or college. Life seems to be one long lesson plan of learning from the life experience lessons of the real world. The key to always learning is to not be opposed to it. When you’re open to new ideas, you’re exercising and enriching your mind. When you don’t learn from both a positive or negative situation, there’s no self-growth. Learning may be accidental or sought after, but as long as you’re learning, you’re gaining knowledge of the world around you and a better understanding of yourself – and this can all contribute to your happiness.

Resiliency
Learning and resilience go hand in hand becausewe learn from life experiences we encounter and then we must move on. This ability to bounce back is called resilience, and believe it or not, the human spirit is more resilient than we might tend to believe. Resilience means living in the present the best you know how, even in the face of anger, hurt, or sadness, and taking whichever hands you’re dealt and turning them into a learning experience.

When you live in the past, you miss the joys of being in the moment. While it’s true that you’re shaped by your experiences, the key to being resilient is to not let the negative experiences paralyze you. 

Courage
Life is scary. We never know what comes next or what direction we should take, especially when it comes to relationships, jobs or achieving our dreams. But sometimes that can be a truly freeing concept. Nothing is certain, so take risks. If you fail, you’ll know that happiness is still possible because you’ll learn from the situation and bounce right back. And if you succeed, your sense of accomplishment is twice as gratifying because you looked uncertainty in the eye and answered back with courage and faith. Without courage to face your fears or the possibility of rejection, you’ll become stagnant and you’ll limit yourself in opportunities for self-growth. 

Meaning and Purpose
What makes you tick, your heart dance with joy, you smile? What are you doing that satisfies yourself and others? Ask yourself why you are living. It may seem like a silly question, but shouldn’t there be a reason for living other than to pay taxes and grow old?

It usually takes a while to find meaning and purpose in your life, and this usually happens through the accumulations of our life experiences. When you find your meaning and purpose in life and you pursue it and sustain it, you’ll really understand what it means to be “living.” Having trouble finding meaning in your life? Read Find your Passion.

Health
Intact mental and physical health allows for many possibilities in your life. Health and happiness are obviously interconnected because it’s difficult to feel happy when your body tells you otherwise. Unfortunately, not all of us are blessed with good health, no matter how much we take care of our bodies. So when you are blessed with good health, don’t take it for granted. Don’t settle when you’re at a certain healthy level either. Working for your health is an ongoing, lifelong process.


Happiness isn’t guaranteed in life. You have to make it happen for yourself. And with these keys to happiness, we bet you’ll be well on your way to finding long-lasting happiness.  


http://www2.lifescript.com/Soul/Self/Well-being/Lifes_Keys_to_Happiness.aspx?trans=1&du=1&gclid=CIv_39HmtpYCFQOeFQodjRiJLw&ef_id=1350:3:c_2cb5aa790f7e486b2c4dd7eca3c43981_561298625:ajoLTtBkOIYAAE6KXA8AAAAG:20081020215827
 

Search for "Keys to Happiness"                             Google up: Peace and Love

Power of the Subconscious

You can actually program your subconscious mind for the happiness, health, creativity, and riches that you deserve just by focusing on what it is you desire to happen.

What do you think about every day? Do you limit your thoughts with self-defeating beliefs and negative attitudes? Instead, entertain thoughts that are worthy of your natural birthright. Feed your mind continuous thoughts of wellness, enjoyment, prosperity, and accomplishment.

Start by daily reprogramming your Subconscious Mind to show you the behaviors that are necessary in expressing the ideal you. With a little practice you can develop any positive quality you wish. The more you practice positive behaviors, the more you become unique, confident, and enthusiastic.

Make a list of the qualities you now have that are positive and unique, and get rid of the ones that are negative and weaken your power to achieve what is best for you. In return, you influence others with your best self and attract the best in others to you.

Send an e-card and make someone feel good. 

http://www.1000greetingcards.com/

It will make you feel good.

Think Happy Thoughts

Happy thoughts are part of our lives. In an average day it is estimated that we have around 60,000 thoughts. Have you ever wondered how many of these thoughts are happy thoughts?
It is known that happy people think more happy thoughts than unhappy people. If we think happy thoughts... we create happy perceptions... we create a beautiful aura of light around ourselves... which leads us to happy events. And so we create a exciting circle (where we become even happier).
Happy thoughts connect us with the light, confidence and courage to act... to the power to believe. To live our lives according to our hopes and dreams not somebody else´s.
Jealous, angry and fearful thoughts and feelings take us away from our own path... our own purpose. But a straight path doesn´t admit compromises. This negative thoughts strip us of our power and ability to act effectively. If we think fearful thoughts we become afraid and act defensively. This pushes away other people and other possibilities away from us. And so we become lonelier and more afraid.
The route to a happier life is through happy thoughts. Not just because they make you feel better immediately... but because happier thoughts give you a stronger and more stable foundation to your life. You are in control rather than being bounced around by life.

http://happythoughtstoday.blogspot.com/
 

How to be Happy

When we look at happiness we need to start from within and look for goodness in others. Being happy is a state of mind and is influenced by our attitude and our attitude to others.

To be achieve true happiness and be really happy simply requires a change of outlook adopting positive thoughts and rejecting negative thoughts.

What is happiness?

The world is difficult, the life is full of problems, people are angry, irritative and negative… What to do with all these thoughts?

Almost everyone thinks about the things like this that at least once in his or her life.

Most people leave the situation as it is and only few people really find the ways to improve their lives and achieve happiness.

How do they manage to do it? Or it was just chance?

Let’s try to understand the reason and origin of their success and find ways we can be really happy.

First and foremost we should start with our mind.

Consciousness determines the being – and these are not just words. All your inner feelings and emotions directly correspond to what is happening to you and your life.

A simple example:

Every morning you go to the bathroom to take a shower or just to wash yourself. What are your first thoughts when you see yourself at the mirror? “Early getting up! I want to sleep! Going to work again! My face reflects the tiredness. I’m sick and tired of everything. When will the week-end come? Etc.”

The result:

Irritation, tiredness and dissatisfaction are the outcome of these thoughts.

All the events of the day will reflect this negative state of mind.

The way to work will be intolerable: unending traffic jams, crowds in metro and buses, angry people around.

Your job will be boring, your boss – a tyrant, your colleagues tedious, your every day dying talents…….. At home everything is the same: children, kitchen, television… Who wants to live in all these? How could we be really happy if the life is like that?

Happiness think positive

But there exist another way which is simple and straightforward and can help you face the day in a happy frame of mind and have positive thoughts
It is believed that as all negative thoughts attract negative ones so all positive thoughts attract more positives.

More over, there exists an understanding of a fact that positive field attracts another positive field. And this is exactly what we are talking about.

If you are positive inside, if you are happy to accept the world as it is in its beauty, if you really like your life all the changes will come immediately.

First you should realize that the God you worship created you not for suffering and pain, but for happiness, creation and partnership, for you to love and to be loved.

Happiness some simple rules

To be specific let’s turn to the main rules which will help you to be changed.

Every morning looking to the mirror say yourself “Dear Pete (Nick, Marry), I love you. Today you look brilliant. Today is your day; you will be successes in everything you do for the name of Love and Good.” Then smile to the mirror and look at yourself for some time to fix this feeling of smiling both inside (how you feel when smiling) and outside (how you look when smiling). Probably, this exercise will work not from the first time, but it will necessary work.

After that explain to yourself that all people you meet today will be polite, all events which could happen will be good surprises for you.

Of course, you shouldn’t forget that everything starts from yourself, a person you don’t like will hardly be polite to you, nevertheless, if you sincerely think he is good in his own way and forgive him for his being unlike the person you wanted him to be, the situation will change.

Happiness see the good in others

Be open to people, believe in your being surrounded only by interesting and kind people, be ready to get pleasure from your contacts to them, and the world will start changing for you: you will inevitably realize that a dream “How to be happy” will become a reality for you.

Happiness final words

Yes, being happy and general happiness in your life comes form your direct view of the world, it really is that simple.

If you want to be happy you will be, if you don’t you wont. So, the next time you are felling tired and angry stop and reflect and see the good in the world and use these positive thoughts to create happiness for you and those around you.

We will look at the concept of how to achieve happiness in greater detail in further articles in this series

For more on happiness and more on alternative thoughts on health religion postitive attitude and well being, please visit our website for articles features, downloads and magazines.

http://www.net-planet.org/newage.html

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Sacha_Tarkovsky

.

The Power of a Positive Attitude

by Remez Sasson

Positive attitude helps to cope more easily with the daily affairs of life. It brings optimism into your life, and makes it easier to avoid worry and negative thinking. If you adopt it as a way of life, it will bring constructive changes into your life, and makes them happier, brighter and more successful. With a positive attitude you see the bright side of life, become optimistic and expect the best to happen. It is certainly a state of mind that is well worth developing and strengthening.

Positive attitude manifests in the following ways:

Positive thinking.

Constructive thinking.

Creative thinking.

Expecting success.

Optimism.

Motivation to accomplish your goals.

Being inspired.

Choosing happiness.

Not giving up.

Looking at failure and problems as blessings in disguise.

Believing in yourself and in your abilities.

Displaying self-esteem and confidence.

Looking for solutions.

Seeing opportunities.

A positive attitude leads to happiness and success and can change your whole life. If you look at the bright side of life, your whole life becomes filled with light. This light affects not only you and the way you look at the world, but also your whole environment and the people around you. If it is strong enough, it becomes contagious.

The benefits of a positive attitude:

Helps achieving goals and attaining success.

Success achieved faster and more easily.

More happiness.

More energy.

Greater inner power and strength.

The ability to inspire and motivate yourself and others.

Fewer difficulties encountered along the way.

The ability to surmount any difficulty.

Life smiles at you.

People respect you.

Negative attitude says: you cannot achieve success.
Positive attitude says: You can achieve success.

If you have been exhibiting a negative attitude and expecting failure and difficulties, it is now the time to change the way you think. It is time to get rid of negative thoughts and behavior and lead a happy and successful life. Why not start today? If you have tried and failed, it only means that you have not tried enough.

Developing a positive attitude that will lead you to happiness and success:

- Choose to be happy.

- Look at the bright side of life.

- Choose to be and stay optimistic.

- Find reasons to smile more often.

- Have faith in yourself and in the Power of the Universe.

- Contemplate upon the futility of negative thinking and worries.

- Associate yourself with happy people.

- Read inspiring stories.

- Read inspiring quotes.

- Repeat affirmations that inspire and motivate you.

- Visualize only what you want to happen.

- Learn to master your thoughts.

- Learn concentration and meditation.


Following even only one of the above suggestions, will bring more light into your life!


http://www.successconsciousness.com/positive_attitude.htm

Norman Vincent Peale + Positive Thinking:

Norman Vincent Peale is branded as the champion of positive thinking. His remarkable views on positive thinking has helped millions of people all around the world to gain back their self-confidence and achieved great success not only in business but also in their family lives.

The book written by Norman Vincent Peale contains uplifting stories of people who have weathered out tough times through positive thinking. There are also numerous techniques and inspiring examples that demonstrate how positive thinking can help people to gain peace of mind, obtain better health and attain an unceasing stream of energy.

The book (the Power of Positive Thinking) aims to teach people on how to achieve a life that is full of happiness and contentment. As a matter of fact, a great number of people who have purchased the book can attest to the amazing almost miraculous results that they gained out from applying the concept of positive thinking thought by Norman Vincent Peale.

The best thing about the book is its simple but effective presentation of the concept of positive thinking. People were able to easily grasp the message that Norman Vincent Peale would like to share with his readers.

This must be the reason why the book, The Power of Positive Thinking become one of the best selling books of all times. In fact it has been translated to over forty different languages and sold over 200 million copies worldwide.

The Power of Positive Thinking clearly signifies Norman Vincent Peale effectiveness in terms of sharing ideas just like his efficiency when he was still a pastor. He has converted and encourages a great number of people to renew and strengthen their weakening faith. To a great number of people Norman Vincent Peale may be considered a modern saint.

Strengthening People with Positive Thinking

What drives Norman Vincent Peale to write a book on positive thinking? He wants to share his life-changing discovery, which is positive thinking. He believes that by spreading the good news about positive thinking he will be able to help a great number of people who are losing hope due to the never-ending problems that they are facing everyday.

Norman Vincent Peale believes that inner healing is needed in order to obtain positive results in life regardless of what one aspire to achieve. He also associated faith with positive thinking saying that through prayers people can develop their positive attitude. He also said that the subconscious mind has the power to transform wishes into realities provided that the wishes are powerful or strong enough.

A Direct and Simple Approach to Positive Thinking

The Power of Positive Thinking has paved the way for people to finally improve themselves. However, reading alone cannot produce results people need to not only absorb the teachings but also apply all the principles and concepts of positive thinking in order to experience the amazing improvement that it can do for them.

By following and applying the various techniques set forth in the book (The Power of Positive Thinking) people will be able to modify or alter the various circumstances that affects their lives. In short, they will be able to gain full control over things that may help improve their lives and at the same time prevent situations that will cause them misery. And lastly, for a more lasting effect of positive thinking it is very important to combine it with a strong faith in God.

"A man will be known by his books,"

John Harvard

 

Imagine no possesions,
I wonder if you can,
No need for greed or hunger,
A brotherhood of man.
Imagine all the people
Sharing all the world.
 
John Lennon 

 

 HAPPINESS IS:

Most folks are about as happy as they make up their minds to be.  ~Abraham Lincoln

Of all the things you wear, your expression is the most important.  ~Janet Lane

The only way to avoid being miserable is not to have enough leisure to wonder whether you are happy or not.  ~George Bernard Shaw

You cannot always have happiness, but you can always give happiness.  ~Author Unknown

A man's as miserable as he thinks he is.  ~Seneca

One filled with joy preaches without preaching.  ~Mother Teresa

Unhappiness is not knowing what we want and killing ourselves to get it.  ~Don Herold

If you are not happy here and now, you never will be.  ~Taisen Deshimaru

In order to have great happiness you have to have great pain and unhappiness - otherwise how would you know when you're happy?  ~Leslie Caron

In order to have great happiness you have to have great pain and unhappiness - otherwise how would you know when you're happy?  ~Leslie Caron

Some pursue happiness, others create it.  ~Author Unknown

But what is happiness except the simple harmony between a man and the life he leads?  ~Albert Camus

This is my "depressed stance."  When you're depressed, it makes a lot of difference how you stand.  The worst thing you can do is straighten up and hold your head high because then you'll start to feel better.  If you're going to get any joy out of being depressed, you've got to stand like this.       ~Charlie Brown

For every minute you are angry, you lose sixty seconds of happiness.  ~Author Unknown 

The way to happiness:

Keep your heart free from hate, your mind from worry.

Live simply, expect little and give much.

Fill your life with love.

Scatter sunshine.

Forget self, think of others.

Do as you would be done by.

Try this for a week and you will be surprised.

–Norman Vincent Peal


 

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the "gift shop":