Happiness is …
“Happiness is a way of travel, not a destination.” – Roy Goodman
Happiness is not something you hope to get some of in the future. Rather, it is a choice, a way of life that you mindfully decide to follow everyday. That’s not to say we will be happy every moment of every day. Life will give us challenges and adversity, but we can choose to accept what comes our way with a positive attitude, knowing that this too shall pass. Happiness is living with gratitude and having an appreciation for all the beauty in the world. It is knowing that happiness doesn’t come from material things, it comes from giving and sharing love. Happiness comes from living the life we have chosen for ourselves and being the authentic person we are meant to be. Happiness is not attained, it is a continuous engagement.
Love, No Matter What
“The greatest happiness of life is the conviction that we are loved; loved for ourselves, or rather, loved in spite of ourselves.” – Victor Hugo
Our lives are so much richer when we feel we are loved, especially when we are loved despite all of our imperfections. Unconditional love is very powerful. We feel we are free to be ourselves when we know we will be loved no matter what. This is especially true with children. Children who feel their parent’s love for them is not conditional on how they perform in school or on the athletic field or in any endeavor, are more likely to grow up to become secure and happy adults. Parents will get unhappy with their child’s behavior from time to time but should always let the child know they are loved, no matter what. A child who feels he/she is loved will grow up to be a loving adult and we all can benefit from that.
photo: flickr/fotologic
Acts of Kindness
We love this story – a great message.
A wise woman who was traveling in the mountains found a precious stone in a stream. The next day she met another traveler who was hungry, and the wise woman opened her bag to share her food. The hungry traveler saw the precious stone and asked the woman to give it to him. She did so without hesitation. The traveler left, rejoicing in his good fortune. He knew the stone was worth enough to give him security for a lifetime. But a few days later he came back to return the stone to the wise woman.
“I’ve been thinking,” he said. ” I don’t know how valuable the stone is, but I give it back in the hope that you can give me something even more precious. Give me what you have within you that enabled you to give me the stone.”
“The Wise Woman’s Stone”
Author Unknown
It’s Only Temporary
Sometimes when we hit a rough spot in our lives, it can seem rather daunting. It’s hard to imagine that things will get better, but they always do.
Rock bottom is good solid ground, and a dead end street is just a place to turn around. ~Buddy Buie and J.R. Cobb, “Rock Bottom” (song)
photo: flickr/Paul Wever
What is Beauty?
Beauty cannot be defined. We all see things differently. What is beautiful to one person may not be so to another. That is part of the beauty of this world we live in. photo: flickr/MSVG
|
