The Key to Happiness

[Posted] by Brian Tracy on Mar 4, 2008


"Your ability to achieve your own happiness is the key measure of your success, of how well you are doing as a person.
Your ability to achieve your own happiness is the key measure of your success, of how well you are doing as a person.

You learn the key to happiness that has been the same through all of history. You learn how to dispel the two myths that may be holding you back and how to achieve more happiness in everything you do.

Dedicate Yourself to Your Best Talents

The key to happiness is this: dedicate yourself to the development of your natural talents and abilities by doing what you love to do, and doing it better and better in the service of a cause that is greater than yourself.

This is a big statement and a big commitment. Being happy requires that you define your life in your own terms and then throw your whole heart into living your life to the fullest. In a way, happiness requires that you be perfectly selfish in order to develop yourself to a point where you can be unselfish for the rest of your life.

Please Yourself First

In Edmond Rostand’s play Cyrano de Bergerac, Cyrano is asked why he is so intensely individualistic and unconcerned with the opinions and judgments of others. He replies with these wonderful words: "I am what I am because early in life I decided that I would please at least myself in all things."

Your happiness likewise depends upon your ability to please at least yourself in all things. You can be happy only when you are living your life in the very best way possible. No one can define happiness for you. Only you know what makes you happy. Happiness is an inside job.

Your Happiness is Up to You

The biggest myth about happiness is when people say that it is not legitimate or correct for you to put your happiness ahead of everyone else’s. Throughout my life, I’ve met people who have said that it is more important to make other people happy than it is to make yourself happy. This is nonsense.

The fact is that you can’t give away to anyone else what you don’t have for yourself. Just as you can’t give money to the poor if you don’t have any, you can’t make someone else happy if you yourself are miserable.

The very best way to assure the happiness of others is to be happy yourself and then to share your happiness with them. Suffering and self-sacrifice merely depress and discourage other people. If you want to make others happy, start by living the kind of life and doing the kind of things that make you happy.

Action Exercises

Here are three steps you can take immediately to put these ideas into action.

First, define for yourself the activities that you really love and enjoy, at home and work, and then organize your life so you do more of them.

Second, believe in yourself and trust your own feelings. Then, please at least yourself in all things.

Third, determine what it is that you do that brings the most happiness to others and then organize your life so that you can do more of it."

This was posted in 2008, how come I haven't come across it? Thanks to Aga for posting a snippet on FB. Now I can start being happy! ;0)

Happiness

Photo by Maria.

"Happiness can never be a goal in life,

it is the natural byproduct of a life

full of purpose and meaning."

------------------------

Today I received an email from my sister, Mae regarding perspective. It shows the planets in our solar system and comparing our sun; which is just a speck [or a pixel in your computer monitor] with the other suns in the whole universe!

But what caught my attention was the quote at the end of the message. I Googled as always and found who said it, and the background:

"In January 2009, I watched an Oprah show that I was extremely drawn into, and the guests were unbelievable. I was inspired as the timing was perfect. It was the start of the New Year and "Change".

I went to Oprah to get inspired. I needed some personal stimulus! The richest woman in America can be all bad...or wrong. I can't say that I can tell you much about what her current home page speaks of today or what today's 4:00 show will be about... but I did quickly see information (a recap) from a gentleman who was on that inspiring show last month.

I believe the topic was about taking control of your Happiness. Happiness was most definitely the topic at hand within her Best Life Series for '09. The guest was Rabbi Shmuley. The show had several spiritual and religious leaders on it, however it was more about spirituality than religion.

I read on and remember that show....

One of the Rabbi's quotes was: "Happiness can never be a goal in life-it is the natural byproduct of a life full of purpose and meaning."

The Rabbi went on to say...Stop focusing on your happiness. Focus instead on whether your life is full, rewarding and meaningful. Other key points include:

Surround yourself with a structure of selflessness. Find joy in a life of service, he says. "Giving your love to people and focusing on others will naturally bring happiness into your life"

..."Foster creativity, promote teamwork and mentor others-rewards and promotions will come along in due time."

Bring spirituality into your daily life. Try meditating, attending church or praying. Spirituality doesn't always have to do with religion, he says.

Spend more time "being" than "doing." "A great way to do this is spending time with your kids playing and goofing around and just enjoying spending time together."

Laugh at yourself a little."Try not to be critical of yourself, and celebrate your everyday successes," Rabbi Shmuley says.

You know I just had to know what Wikipedia says, so in a flash here it was: Happiness is a state of mind or feeling such as contentment, satisfaction, pleasure, or joy. [1] A variety of philosophical, religious, psychological and biological approaches have been taken to defining happiness and identifying its sources. Philosophers and religious thinkers have often defined happiness in terms of living a good life, or flourishing, rather than simply as an emotion. Happiness in this older sense was used to translate the Greek Eudaimonia, and is still used in virtue ethics.

I will now take time to meditate on this all- a break in my day. Perhaps it is only me that sees a connect-the- dots pattern between the two terms of stimulus and happiness as we move forward into 2009. How are they different and also alike, in meaning?? "Change" is in the air- I feel it!

We all need to take a step back.... see where we have been and were we are going.... and what is important to us, what we want for our families, and how we can be a positive force in our workplace and our community."

Post by Pam Oster on Happiness and Stimulus.