Happiness

[BlueStar]

What is happiness? How do we go about 'achieving' happiness? What does happiness mean to you? Why do you think it is such an elusive search for so many people in the world? Where do you think people go about it wrongly?

I would love to hear your thoughts

[Kiran]

Hmm...good thread Rory!
For me, happiness is feeling peace and contentment with my lot and where I am at. Actually its a lot more than that but in the main its knowing that crap happens but I get to control how I react to it. I have always been a glass half full kinda person and no matter how much negativity has happened in my life, I always have tried to see the blessings and lessons learned.
Wow...I realise as I write this it is very hard to put into words! I think it really is a state of mind in that we have a choice in how we react to something. Nothing wrong in getting angry about a situation as long as you learn from it and channel that anger in the right way, for the positive.
Hehehe I am having a hard time putting this into words that can vocalise what I feel...and hoping my rambling is making some kind of sense.

I feel if someone continually sees the negative, then they will never see the joy passing them by while they are looking the other way. In my book I wrote, I put it in this way...you wouldn't walk down a busy street continually looking behind you, at what you lost or let pass you by. By doing this, you are very likely to walk into a lamp post or trip over something. I feel this is the same with life. If we spend it worrying about what ifs, why didn'ts and poor me's...we never see the beauty, joy and magic happening all around us.
Ok I'll stop rambling now lollol and just hope this makes some kind of sense

I like this thread Rory so have some Rep honey

[Lion Spirit Walker]

I truly love the fact that you've started this my dear Rory. So timely when so many suffer in an internal darkness. Well done my dear friend.
To over-simplify it, for myself it is being True of Self in the Now.
Feeling sincere love and appreciation for Life, Self, All those with which I share this Now, and the Now itself. Grattitude for understanding All is with Purpose. And Gratitude for All the wonderous experiences of Life, past, present, and future. And the side effect of all this for mySelf is a joyous Happiness coupled with eternal Love.
I believe that the biggest reason for the sorrow experienced by so very many is the 'lost Memory of True Self'.
If I sense my True Self, I will understand the Love and Joy that my Self is entitled to. And it will become reality as my sense of Self grows.
But if I have forgotten this Truth, my Self will be meaningless and without value. My perspective of 'reality' will become tainted by this illusion. And I shall care for no one and nothing as I care not for my Self. And from this is born all that is grossly negative about humanity.
I understand I AM.

[Lion Spirit Walker]

p[.s., I've added this to my FB wall in the hope that those who may need to see this do.
It is a wonderful thread my dear friend.

[Narnia]

For me, happiness is feeling peace and contentment with my lot and where I am at.

To over-simplify it, for myself it is being True of Self in the Now.

I fully agree with both Lorri and Michael .... for me it is much along the same lines .... Being at Peace with the Now.

And ... yes, thank you dearest Rory for starting this terrific thread ...

I gave it an 'Excellent' rating .... 5 stars baby!!

[BlueStar]

Thanks for your beautiful comments - they are heartfelt and inspiring! I thought it's a great topic. Happiness is something everyone chases after, but not that many find and I wondered 'why is this?'. Are they looking for it in the wrong places? I think many people are. I was going to compose some thoughts for a short blog essay, which I will post here as my contribution to the discussion when I get around to it Thanks for your answers, and keep them coming. It's a very interesting subject!

[Mr. Brightside]

Wonderful Thread Rory

A lot of people project their future happiness on attatchments. To people - They think when I meet this person or when this happens my life will change for the better and I will be happy. Or Places, When I get out of this place or when I move/go there it I will be happy. A lot get attatched to physical objects such as cars, new technology, homes..but when these things do not bring them happiness and contentment they wonder why.. Everything is in a constant state of flux and everything decays. This years new sparkling 3D HD Telivison will be next years scrap. The person you love cold die tomorrow. Nothing ever happens how you plan it, ever.. The more flexible you are, the more you can deal with changes the better off you will be..

I know people who will upgrade their computers or cars or are constantly cleaning or revamping their homes but there own health and lives are a mess. Happiness cannot be found in any place, person or object. Attachments to things are the greatest source of unhappiness, During the recent boom/bust people got addicted to spending money now they are up to the eyes in debt, deeply unhappy and some contemplating suicide.. In ten years time will you remember the new ipad or car you saved up for for months or a happy moment you spent with someone you love.

Some of the happiest people in the world have nothing and some of the unhappiest are multi millionaires...

Looking to the past can also cause a lot of unhappiness (I know belive me) we need to come to terms with the past, learn from it and look to the future but at the same time live in the present. This day, this moment is really all there is! Love and freindship are more important than any object and can bring a lot of happiness (but alas also a lot of sadness) at the end of the day the greatest source of contentment is in ourselves. To be at peace with ourselves and the world around us is one of the hardest things to learn but it is the greatest thing to strive for.

The more happy moments we have in our lives the more we will want and strive for more of them.. Do what makes you feel happy no matter what other people say or do

Inspiration or advice can sometimes come from the most unlikely places, Now and again we here a phrase, quote or lyric from a song that really rings true, these lines spoken by Leonardo Di Caprio during movie The Beach (and featured on the song Beached by Orbital) struck a cord with me.

I still believe in paradise
but now at least I know it's not some place you can look for
cause it's not where you go
it's how you feel for a moment in your life
and if you find that moment
It lasts forever.....

[Lion Spirit Walker]

This is truly wonderful. So much wisdom and truth.

[Rana]

for me happiness is simple ..its feeling happy ..

how do i acheive happiness if im not feeling happy ?

depends ..on why im not feeling happy ..or if i even know why i am not feeling happy or as a New Zealander would say it (HEPPY) .. is it physical ..can that be fixed, am i in an environment im comfortable in , am i feeling content within , do i have a perspective of my life that still allows happiness to "BE" .. i either feel good or i feel bad ..and if i feel bad ..then i aim to feel good ..

[BlueStar]

So beautifully written you guys. Like Michael said, so much wisdom - I wish there was some way to get your words to a wider readership as many could benefit. I don't have time to write much at the mo and dont know if I can add much to what has already been said, but I may get back to you on this. I'll bee back

[Lion Spirit Walker]

An image of happiness...
...

[planetlove]

What is happiness?

A state of mind achieved from a rise in your consciousness when you become self realized..



How do we go about 'achieving' happiness?

Much silence and mediation and lots of reprogramming of the subconscious mind/ with psychological work..



What does happiness mean to you?

Everything ...its is the only true state..




Why do you think it is such an elusive search for so many people in the world?

People have become very visual and too connected to the physical world ...
this physical state is only temporary .... so are cars, house's, people, weather any physical form for that matter is temp...
when you know this you will know that matter does not bring happiness ....



Where do you think people go about it wrongly?

Life is about the journey to find this ...
Getting only this temp illusionary state / "disappointment".....is the learning lesson that has to be learnt...
"this false sense of happiness"

After knowing / experiencing this multiple times in a row this you have something to compare it to ,when you find out the truth in what happiness really is..

For some its a long time for they a blinded egotistically by a small portion of the mind...

People have very weak minds and weak emotional control....again more lessons which are learned in time..

These one day will all dissolve as you attain the truth about yourself...


I would love to hear your thoughts..

Those are my thoughts ...happy to share ...
V

[BlueStar]

Wow, I love that pic Michael, it made me happy to see And thanks for sharing your thoughts V, I'm very happy to read them! I haven't had a chance to write anything substantial about this myself yet, but I will when I can. Thanks for all your input guys

[Kiran]

Ok to take this a little further....
Is there a difference between happiness and joy? If yes, what is it?
If no, please still feel free to share your thoughts

[Lion Spirit Walker]

Wouldn't there also be varying degrees of 'happiness' just as there is with love???
And to say 'my happiness must be your hapiness' seems to contridict the thought that each of us walks a unique path through Life. Even though all paths lead in the same direction.

[planetlove]

Happiness or Joy is the same in my book ....a emotional response to some sort of stimulant....Created by your unique perspective of whatever event situation life is playing in front of you .......

In your opinion there seems to be varying levels of this love / happiness...
but behind the fabric of the illusionary universe there is only one thing... and that is "THIS LOVE"...
It is the fabric / energy / intelligence / light / information what ever you want to call it......
"A rose does not care if you call it a tulip" .....as to you can refer to me as anything you wish it does not change what I am ...

It is in the air you breath... you are not separate from it and it is the real you....
My response is not limited to the physical world .it is multidimensional as we live in this multiverse ...we are in it and it is in us....

I hope that none of you think i'm smokin up or sniffin glue...,,,LOL

[Lion Spirit Walker]

Yes my dear friend V, I do think your smoking snd sniffing. Lol. Hehehe. See now that was fun. It was happiness. It was a moment of Joy. But it passes..
For myself to have True Happiness/Eternal Joy- Love, I must Understand My True Self. Without this understanding I am unknowledgable of my True Purpose. Without these I only see illusions created by my mind.
But I do understand and so I Am.

[BlueStar]

Great question Lorri. From my perspective and my own experience, happiness and joy are different qualities. Happiness tends to be the reaction to specific stimulus or events, in fact (I don't know if this is true or not) I once heard that the word 'happiness' is related to the word 'happenings'...so when things go well, we're happy and when they don't go well we don't tend to be happy. In that respect, happiness can actually be a somewhat superficial emotion.

Joy, however, is something that arises spontaneously within and often has little to do with what's happening outwardly. I find that when I get out of my mind and really present in the moment, a natural feeling of joy often spontaneously rises from within me. There's no particular reason for this joy and it isn't dependent on circumstances, but it's buzzing, alive and sometimes grows to such intensity that it becomes a state of bliss. It seems to be the joy of simply being alive, and connected to our true nature. My own personal feeling is that joy is a 'deeper' and more intense state than happiness.

Like any emotional state, it comes and goes and that, it seems, is the nature of our makeup. The attempt to hold onto even very pleasurable states tends to drive them away and block us from experiencing them as readily. Happiness comes and goes depending on what's going on, although I believe joy - and maybe even more importantly, inner peace - can be constant depending on how much we let go and give in to the natural flow of life.

[Kiran]

Thanks for all your comments. Hmm...interesting points...now see what the dictionaries state...

The dictionary definition of happiness is...

noun
[mass noun]
the state of being happy:


The dictionary definition of Joy is....
"–noun
1. the emotion of great delight or happiness caused by something exceptionally good or satisfying; keen pleasure; elation: She felt the joy of seeing her son's success.
2. a source or cause of keen pleasure or delight; something or someone greatly valued or appreciated: Her prose style is a pure joy.
3. the expression or display of glad feeling; festive gaiety.
4. a state of happiness or felicity.
–verb (used without object)
5. to feel joy; be glad; rejoice."

So, seeing what the dictionary states, is there a difference?

[Rana]

Ok to take this a little further....
Is there a difference between happiness and joy? If yes, what is it?
If no, please still feel free to share your thoughts

... word play really here ..but one way to look at it ..would be happiness be the state of ..the energy standing still and joy be the beacon for which it resonates outwards ..and inwards xx