Steps to Happiness - Part 6 - Happy People Don’t Seek Happiness
Peace, focus, gratitude, happiness, humble, humility, inner peace, positive attitude, positive thinking, principles, priorities, purpose, responsibility April 2nd, 2008
We are nearing the end of our articles on Steps to Happiness. Thank you for joining us.
To read the previous articles in this series go to:
In our last article we discussed what happy people say to themselves every day and how they view things. As promised, in this article we will talk about why happy people are able to view things as they do.
Who is it all about?
So here it is…. the secret that ALL happy people possess…. They realize the world is bigger than themselves – that the world does not revolve around them. What do we mean exactly by this?
Happy people are not focused on their own happiness. They are not seeking happiness. They are seeking to bring others happiness.
Happy people are not focused on their own happiness. They are not seeking happiness. They are seeking to bring others happiness.
Happy people go about their lives looking for ways to enhance other people’s lives. They are seeking ways to bring a smile to someone else’s face and heart. They seek peace and joy for others.
And why do they do this? Let’s take this even a step further – to the real reason…
Who is it really about?
They realize that life is all about God, not about themselves.
They realize that life is all about God, not about themselves.
Happy people realize their purpose for being here in this world. They realize that they are here to bring glory to God so they seek to know God and to form and maintain a relationship with Him. They seek to bring God glory in all they do. That includes bringing others joy.
The Void
I realize that for some people that I have made a bold statement, but you see, as long as someone does not have a relationship with God there will ALWAYS be a hole, a void in their lives - something missing. This point can be argued, but it does not change the fact that a person will always have this void that can only be filled by God and a relationship with Him. It’s the way we are made.
Someone can refuse to accept this and go live the life they choose and do whatever they want, but they will always be brought back to this truth. They will always have this void unless and until they form a relationship with God, realize it’s all about God and then seek to make others happy. Filling this void gives people purpose and meaning. This is why happy people are able to look at everything as an opportunity – an opportunity to bring glory to God.
It is important to note that a true relationship with God takes commitment, but the joys and rewards are innumerable…. way beyond what anyone could ever imagine!!!
What Now?
So the question arises… How do I come to know God and form a relationship with Him? The best free resources I have found are
http://www.wbschool.org/ and
www.housetohouse.com/hth/freebies/
Exercises:
Use the above resources to learn about God and form a relationship with Him.
As you go throughout your day look for ways to bring joy to others. Act on it.
April 2nd, 2008 at 11:23 pm
Jennifer,
You make a very valid point that people who are truly happy recognize that they are part of something greater than themselves. I’ve heard it said that, if you want to feel better, go do something nice for someone else. It really does work.
I’m not sure I can totally buy into the need for a relationship with God in order to feel this way (unless you include very broad definitions of God such as “the ground of being” “the great mystery, “the universe” etc.). That’s just me…I’m not a believer in a personal, supernatural God…and I don’t really believe that one needs to hold this belief to feel a sense of being one part of a greater whole. I do believe that I am only one small part of a larger whole however and I have a very mystical, spiritual approach to life so I agree with you wholeheartedly that a sense of transcendence and obligation to the greater good goes a long way in making us happier people.
You’ve obviously put a lot of effort into this series of posts and are clearly doing your part for the greater good. Keep it coming!
April 3rd, 2008 at 5:10 am
Lori, Thank you for your input and your kind words. I really appreciate you coming around.
Yes, it really does work to go outside of ourselves to do something for someone else. We will never experience living without it. Sometimes I have to keep on reminding myself of that.
That’s an interesting view you have of God. I’ve never been exposed to all those ideas before. Yes, I’m aware of the universe idea, but not so much the others (or maybe it’s just another way of saying “universe”). For me, I have found my relationship with my personal loving God to be the single greatest blessing in my life. If all else fails, I still have this beautiful relationship that transcends all else. In my experience I have found there has never been any peace like it.
April 3rd, 2008 at 12:57 pm
Jennifer,
Wow! This is incredible. You’ve struck to the heart of happiness and it is truly the deep desire to become selfless. When self is detached from the outcome, there exists lasting, eternal peace that transcends our mind, thoughts and life. It brings eternal joy of giving and caring the world we live in.
Note: I like this so much that I will add trackback to one of my articles related to happiness.
Your friend,
Shilpan
April 3rd, 2008 at 6:11 pm
Shilpan, Glad you enjoyed it so much. Figuring out it really is not about us is so refreshing.
April 4th, 2008 at 4:44 pm
Hey Jennifer,
I got to thinking about our comment exchange here. First, I want you to know that I have the utmost respect for your religious beliefs. I hope my comment didn’t come across as some sort of challenge (I don’t think it did). I love hearing from you on my blog and visiting yours and would like that to continue, but I also love to discuss spirituality and hear other peoples perspectives.
Meanwhile, I posted a few weeks ago about my views on spirituality and it suddenly occured to me that maybe you would like to read it. (I’m not trying to convert you to my way of thinking, just trying to help you understand me better - if you’re interested.) Here is the link:http://betweenusgirls.typepad.com/my_weblog/the-meaning-of-spirituali.html, or you can just search under spirituality on my site.
Post a comment for me and let me know what you think. You’re welcome to disagree - as long as you do it politely:)…which I am sure that you would!
Hope to hear from you soon.
April 4th, 2008 at 5:44 pm
Thank you Lori for your reply. What good are we if we don’t first take the time to listen and undertand other people. Won’t we miss out on life! Thank you for giving me the opportunity to understand you.
I have read your post…. More on that there.