Why Are You Not Happy - part 4

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Changing Your Mindset – opt For Positivism

We can choose how we frame all of our life experiences. And how we choose to frame our experiences sets the stage for our emotional state which often inspire our NEXT set of experiences.

This is the reason people who go about their day with a frown on their face and a terrible attitude end up having bad event after bad event spring up all around them. Their negative mindset becomes a self-fulfilling prophecy... they curse themselves and kill their chances of being happy.

In many important ways we create our own reality.

Our mindset can be thought of as the script writer or director of our life experiences and we can choose the plot of our story. When we opt for positivity, what seemed like a sad tale or even a horror movie can become a love story or adventure!

Are you ready to change your life's plot by opting for positivism? Great, I thought you would be!

These ideas will help.

Listen To Music (and watch movies) That Lift Your Mood.

Where we turn to for entertainment has a great effect on how we view the world. Dark and depressing music and movies can make it very difficult for us to shift our mindset towards positivism.

Amazon Music

This only makes sense doesn't it?

Take a look at what you listen to in the car and on your MP3 player. Is this music that makes you smile and think of life's bright possibilities or does it have the opposite effect? The same question should be asked about the movies and television shows you watch for entertainment.

Making a move to clean these things up can have a tremendous effect on your subconscious mind. Of course an occasional scary movie won't hurt if that's what you enjoy, but do your best to indulge in music and movies that work with your goal of thinking positive, NOT against it.

Challenge Your Negative Thoughts 

Immediately with Positivism

Amazon Prime Video

Negative thoughts can and will creep into our minds. It's unavoidable, especially in the beginning when we are just picking up the habit of holding a positive mindset. The trick is not letting them take root. By challenging them immediately with positivism we can deflate them of having any real influence over us. Whenever you feel yourself thinking negatively, re-frame your thoughts and consider the positive side of what's occurring. For this technique to work properly you must QUICKLY challenge these negative thoughts. The more you delay the more harm they will do.

Make A Powerful Set Of Affirmations.

We've already explored the power our words hold over our happiness. Now let's go deeper and use this knowledge to help boost our mindset with a daily affirmation.

An affirmation is simply a positive statement that you repeat to yourself first thing in the morning and before you go to sleep in the evening. It can also be used whenever you feel stressed out or your thoughts are drifting away from positivism.

Now you can write your own or you can use this famous one created by one of the original self-help authors in the early 1900's... "Each day, in every way, I am getting better and better". If you choose to write your own be sure to phrase things that you want and appreciate NOT negative things you're trying to avoid. So instead of saying "I'm not fat" you would say "I am fit and healthy". It's a secret to how our minds work that will make your affirmations take hold quicker and with more effect. Our minds can be tricky things!

The more positive your mindset, the happier you will be. So please take these suggestions and ideas very seriously.

Happiness

Having said this, even this sort of happiness is a product of positive thinking and positive action, with good fortune lending a helping hand. In short, it is a product of will in relatively favorable circumstances. But isn't it peculiar to imply that happiness can be of one sort or another?  Are there not simply happiness and unhappiness?  I think not. The sort of happiness that the sage talks about is compatible with misfortune. It is preeminently a doing from within – while without, the only prerequisite for it is that the sage be alive and capable of thought. It is a feeling of serenity, of being at peace with his situation and his conscience, as a well-adjusted and fully committed servant of life, of humanity, of God as he sees them.

However conscious he is of the subjectiveness – i.e., the individual limitations and hence the imperfection – of his view, he does live by it with utmost faithfulness, if also with a willingness to reevaluate it critically when he catches himself out in a misstep. His wisdom is forever a work in progress; it is always laced with some form of foolishness, which leaves him open to ridicule. Humility and compassion, plus humor are therefore qualities that he cultivates. He mocks and forgives himself, and above all strives to improve. He shows no complacency, but an acceptance of his humanness that he is intent on bringing to the highest possible degree of truth and nobility. And this delicate blend of resignation and struggle alone – in any situation, favorable or not – is indeed the secret of his happiness, which admittedly is a dry manner of joy that fills the mind rather than the heart.

It follows that this happiness leaves something to be desired: happiness in the fullest sense of the word (a state of fulfillment, when everything is going our way, in terms of results as well as efforts), which is a joy, ever so sweet, that fills both the mind and the heart. When the sage experiences this supreme happiness, he rightly feels blessed, and knows how precarious it is. Furthermore, he accepts this precariousness, or the fact that suffering and ultimately death loom ahead. Only battles are won in the war of life that will inevitably – despite every valiant effort to prevail – end in defeat. 

Some will say that happiness in its so-called fullest sense leaves something more to be desired: the power to make this happiness infinite: immeasurably great and unlimited in duration. Among them, some will choose the path of faith, which allegedly leads to a heavenly afterlife, whereas some will choose the path of reason, which admits of no rosy belief based on wishful thinking and unbridled trust. This path leads nowhere as far as the beyond is concerned, or rather somewhere that is unknown – presumably so different from what is known that it totally exceeds our ability to conceive of its nature. 

I count among these proponents of reason, these infidels, to whom the only source of meaning is not a paradisiacal destination, whose existence is supported by no credible evidence, but the journey itself, a rugged and uphill journey to be sure, with an abundance of twists and turns, some of which are propitious, others not. This journey is well worth the trouble, in my opinion. It is so independently of the above-mentioned destination, which people are free to pursue blindly or regard with skepticism (and with detachment to boot, in the best case scenario). It is all about the dignity of living and loving and the pleasure of succeeding in these difficult assignments. From this perspective, the purpose of life is none other than life itself, in partnership with our fellow creatures; and happiness is made possible – within certain limits – by our striving to achieve this worthy, albeit humble purpose.

The limits imposed upon worldly happiness may initially stick in our craw, but after due consideration, as we realize that life without these limits would be death, we accept them, and better still we welcome them. Life is by definition a dynamic state that presupposes a perpetual tension between desires and their satisfaction. Render this satisfaction absolute, you resolve this tension and consequently reduce life to nothing; i.e., something as inert as a stone. And this nothing – this inert something – is death, as I just pointed out. Not a brilliant prospect in the eyes of a life lover!

Anxiety and Depression

Anxiety and depression are two separate conditions. The exact relationship between the two is still under study. Even though it's very common to find them together, any direct relationship to each other has yet to be found. For the time being, the relationship between anxiety and depression is often referred to as comorbidity. Meaning unrelated but co-existing. Their symptoms can overlap each other, which can make the initial diagnosis of either condition difficult. The symptoms can also be completely independent of each other.

A study by the National Comorbidity Survey reported that 58% of patients suffering major depression also exhibited lifetime anxiety. Agitated depression and akathitic depression are most often referred to when supporting these results. Both of these depressed states exhibit anxiety with heightened restlessness, suicidal thoughts or tendencies and a general sense of dread. While agitated depression includes symptoms of nonclinical and nonspecific panic, akathitic depression doesn't.

Even mild anxiety symptoms are being found to have an impact on the course depression takes in individuals. A study at the University of Pittsburg showed patients diagnosed with depression and also suffering lifetime panic symptoms experienced significant delays in the success of their treatments. These patients also exhibited additional problems when facing the resumption of their normal activities.

There are theories regarding the possibility that depression acts similar to anxiety in attempting to encourage avoidance of potentially harmful situations. Anxiety tries to avoid and prepare for physical danger, while depression tries to avoid emotional or psychological danger.

Happiness Thru Religion

 Concerts:  A Great Religious Event to Host

Are you a church leader or a member in your church group who is regularly involved in the planning of community events?  If you are, has your church ever held a public concert, either as a free community event or as a fundraiser?  If this is an approach that you have yet to take, you may want to consider doing so, as there are a number of benefits to reaching out to your community by way of music.

Before examining a few of the many benefits of hosting a community concert, either as a free event or as a fundraiser, it is important to examine the options that you have. As you likely already know concerts and music events come in a number of different sizes, shapes, and styles.  This is something that you may want to use to your advantage.

When planning a concert for your community, either as a free event or as a fundraiser, it is advised that you place a focus on children.  It is always said that children are our future and that couldn’t be more true.  If you want your church congregation to continue on, even after you have passed, you will want to place a focus on children. That is why it may be a good idea to host a concert that targets children and their parents. The songs sung should have a kids theme to them. In addition to a kids concert, you may also want to turn the event into a fun filled day. This can easily be done with games, foods, and drinks.

As important as it is to place a focus on the children in or around your community, you will also want to make sure that you place a focus on adults as well. That is why it is advised that you consider hosting concerts that may be ideal for adults and possibly even adults only. These types of concerts are ones that you may want to schedule a little bit later in the evening.  You may end up finding that many of your attendees use your religious concert as a way to get out of the home or even as a date night.

As for the benefits of hosting a religious concert, #Paid either as a free event or as a fundraiser, you will find that there are an unlimited number of benefits to doing so. One of those benefits is the interest that may be generated in your church and the new members that may join.  What you need to remember is that many individuals would like to attend church, but many are afraid to take the first step. A community concert, especially if you have church officials on hand, may be the perfect opportunity for hopeful church goers to express interest in your church group, as well as ask any questions that they may have.

Another one of the many benefits to using concerts as a way to insert yourself into the community and make your presence known it that it is relatively easy to do so. Depending on the size of your church, as well as how it is operated, you may have a church choir or even a church music group.  If that is the case, your own members can put on the concerts that you would like to host. With that in mind, you may also want to take steps to see if you can find any locally well-known music artists who would be willing to perform a concert with you as their sponsor. As for locations, many choose to use their own facilities, but you may also want to use local parks as locations for a concert, as well as other fundraisers or free events that you may be interested in planning.

As outlined above, there are a number of benefits to using concerts as a way to reach out into your community. Those benefits include a possible increase in interest at church services, as well as the ability to raise money for a good cause, especially if you are interested in using your concert or concerts as fundraisers.

What IS To Be Happy?

An Overview of Happiness

Happiness seems to be a fleeting thing to some people; others seem to have a good grasp on it and seem to be able to hang on for dear life!

Happiness means different things to different people, but there are similarities that have led scientists to believe that there is much people can do to assist
themselves in their personal pursuit of happiness.

Most people who are truly happy have a true sense of purpose in their life. What is your passion and are you living it? For many people, faith in God brings
them happiness, hope for the future and a sense of purpose.

Happy people generally are giving people; giving truly does bring the giver joy, if it’s done with a real attitude of giving for the sake of giving. Happy
people are also thankful for the things in their life, and for the people and relationships in their life. Nurture your special relationships with family and
friends and think about dumping negative relationships that do nothing except bring you down.

Optimism doesn’t come naturally to some people, but the happiest people are

optimists, always looking on the lighter and brighter side of life. Take it easy on
yourself-lighten up!

If you are online often, have a joke-of-the-day sent to you. Don’t be afraid to laugh; laughing releases endorphins in your brain that make you truly happy-as
does exercise.

Consciously look for the bright side in every situation

throughout the day; instead of instantly thinking something won’t work, think about how it
could.

Be mindful of how blessed you are; got a job? Be thankful. In a good relationship? Be thankful. Thankfulness will lead to happiness every time.