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A Small Discourse on Happiness


flipfloptiptop

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“Happiness depends more on the inward disposition of mind than on outward circumstances.”

--Benjamin Franklin

Thank you, Benjy, ol’ pal, for putting some validity and credibility to what I’ve been sayin’ all these years.

Happiness doesn’t have to be situational.

The only way that happiness is based on outward circumstances is in that we allow outward circumstances to dictate the way we think about things - indirectly, informing our inward disposition.

Our thoughts inform our feelings.

Or, as I like to believe, thoughts and feelings are one in the same - can’t have one without the other.

Thus, our thoughts are our feelings (but, that's a different discussion, for a different day)

If you consistently let situations control what you think, your happiness is bound to be anything but stable.

Either way, you control your happiness, by what you allow to alter your thoughts.

Take control of your mind!

Will is largely indeterminate in all of us.

None of us are infallible, in any regard.

When my thoughts begin to get away from me, I like to make goofy faces at myself in the mirror and laugh at how silly I’m being.

It's silly and somewhat embarrassing, when you catch yourself being so ridiculous (even in front of yourself!) but it works for me & it really is that simple for most people dealing with fits of sadness or general unhappiness.

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I had never heard that quote from Benjamin Franklin, thanks for sharing.

I've always told people that "happiness is a state of mind, not a state of being". Pretty much the same thing, lol.

Edited by Mr_Snstr
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I agree totally! I try to surround myself with harmony and things that are conducive to positive thinking. One of my favorite quotes is from Abraham Lincoln-Most people are about as happy as they make up their mind to be.

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I agree as well. Often I just shift my perspective and I realize how very lucky and happy I am in my life. I think it comes of understanding that my purpose is beyond my desires and that if I allow myself to be lived rather than trying to live I am much much happier.

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I agree totally! I try to surround myself with harmony and things that are conducive to positive thinking. One of my favorite quotes is from Abraham Lincoln-Most people are about as happy as they make up their mind to be.

Exactly!

All it really takes is an earnest decision to feel something else, make the actions that go along with that new feeling and voila!

I mean, depending on how serious the situation is, the actual process of changing your mood is extremely simple - it's the earnesty behind it that trips us up.

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I had never heard that quote from Benjamin Franklin, thanks for sharing.

I've always told people that "happiness is a state of mind, not a state of being". Pretty much the same thing, lol.

Yes - it's sad when people literally "allow" situations to dictate their personal state of being.

But, it's only conditioning; I just wish everyone knew that their default conditioning isn't a requirement.

If doing something different will make you feel better, why not do that?

A strong inner locus of control brings about a much more stable level of happiness.

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I agree as well. Often I just shift my perspective and I realize how very lucky and happy I am in my life. I think it comes of understanding that my purpose is beyond my desires and that if I allow myself to be lived rather than trying to live I am much much happier.

Perspective is definitely a key factor in happiness.

This post is a basic discussion that most ppl can employ - including ppl who don't understand how strongly a warped perspective can impact their entire world (and subsequently, their general mood).

If you shift your perspective, everything simply falls into place, including how you feel.

If you view your favourite store closing just as you arrived as "just that" - you're probably angry.

[employ the mood-changing tactics discussed in the initial post]

However, if you view the same situation as "well, now I can use this money to buy a coffee AND a croissant, in the morning," - not only are you not so angry anymore, if at all, you are also feeling better about the morning and maybe even looking forward to that coffee and croissant you wouldn't have been having, had the store still been open.

[no need to employ mood-changing tactics; your rose-tinted perspective in life does it all for you!]

=)

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Not to be the Devil's advocate here, but there are times when we aren't supposed to be happy. The death of a child or spouse isn't a situation where one's thoughts can readily put the situation into a 'cheerful' spin (nor should it be). Life isn't about always being happy, life is about being a survivour despite the bad, and being happy with good things we do have.

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Not to be the Devil's advocate here, but there are times when we aren't supposed to be happy. The death of a child or spouse isn't a situation where one's thoughts can readily put the situation into a 'cheerful' spin (nor should it be). Life isn't about always being happy, life is about being a survivour despite the bad, and being happy with good things we do have.

I agree. But I think the saying applies to ones chronic state, not so much a reaction to acute stimuli.

Would the world be better if we were all 'chronically happy'? :innocent:

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To be unhappy is easy. All we need to do is point our finger at someone or something, and say that is the reason, deny any personal responsibility, and do nothing. To be happy, one must be proactive, and assume responsibility for one's life, decisions, and actions, which can be a very difficult thing to do. I had forgotten this until this moment, but my parents never gave me any advice, even when I asked for it. What they said was, "We trust that you'll work it out and make good decisions." At the time, it was frustrating to hear that, but I now realize what a gift that was, in so many ways.

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