Happy

If someone asked you: are you happy? What would your answer be?

For the purposes of this article, I’m defining happiness as an inner state of contentment and satisfaction, not the euphoric state of pleasure that comes and goes. Unhappiness in this context is about functional dissatisfaction and not debilitating emotional distress.

“The world is full of people looking for spectacular happiness while they snub contentment.” ~Doug Larson

As much as I’d like to feel fully contented with my life as it is, it seems there is always an underlying feeling of unease (some sort of dissatisfaction). It‘s a vague feeling that runs in the background. It’s not as pronounced as anxiety, sadness, or other negative emotions.

I can’t tell you exactly why I feel this way. And if my understanding of others around me is correct, I don’t think I’m the only one with those feelings.

We learn to tolerate and live with the unease. We don’t stop to analyze it or give it much attention. It’s just there.

“The happiness of most people is not ruined by great catastrophes or fatal errors, but by the repetition of slowly destructive little things.” ~Ernest Dimnet

On the surface the feelings of unease and dissatisfaction are not that harmful. If we can learn to pay attention to (and appreciate) the good in our lives, then a bit of negativity in the background won’t be that bad. Until …

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The Breath of Life

May 6, 2013

“When you arise in the morning, think of what a precious privilege it is to be alive – to breathe, to think, to enjoy, to love.” ~Marcus Aurelius One of the most basic and recurring acts of life is breathing. On average, a healthy person breathes about 20,000 times a day. Yet we hardly stop [...]

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When Life Disappoints

April 30, 2013

I admit I’m an idealist and tend to think of the best in everything and everyone. And I end up feeling disappointed when things don’t work out as intended, in spite of my best efforts. As we all know, reality rules, whether we like it or not. We can expect and hope for certain outcomes. [...]

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How to Want Less in a World That Screams More

April 22, 2013

“Wealth consists not in having great possessions, but in having few wants.” ~ Epictetus One of the things I aim for is to live a simpler life. Not too long ago I wrote about eliminating the unnecessary. The thing with elimination though is: it has to be a conscious choice, not a reaction to the [...]

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Think Magic, Not Duty

April 14, 2013

“Think magic. Think delight. Think fun. Do not think duty. Do what intrigues you. Explore what interests you.” ~Julia Cameron One of the most beautiful moments in life happens when dreams come true. We get what we wish for and it feels wonderful, for a while. Then things lose their luster and become familiar. Over [...]

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The Most Important Step in Simplifying Your Life

April 7, 2013

And without a long introduction, the most important step is elimination. Eliminate the unnecessary. Delete the obsolete. Cut out the excess. Remove the redundant. Destroy the useless. Get rid of clutter. Use any verb you’d like, and go for it. Mastering elimination leads to a cleaner, clearer, and more peaceful life. I’d say it’s the [...]

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Are You on a Path to Nowhere? How to Gain Clarity and Live Passionately

March 31, 2013

What are you passionate about? This is a question that stirs a lot of emotions. It can thrill you … or it can depress you—depending on your level of clarity about what you’re doing. If you love what you’re doing, then you’re set. You are on your path. If you’re not on your desired path, [...]

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