Friday, October 21, 2011

Finding Happiness

Next week, I'm airing a story on Fresh Living about happiness. It's part of a series called "Love Yourself" and looks at the many aspects of life that relate to being a whole, happy, healthy person. Even though it will be voiced by Debbie, it's entirety is researched, written, and interviewed by myself.

This series spawned from my own quest for self improvement and a desire to better be in touch with my heart, body, mind, and soul. So let's talk happiness: what is it? Is it the ultimate emotion to which we should aspire? If we are not happy 100% of the time, are we failures? What is standing in the way of my happiness?

Right now, the sign of a church on 400 East in downtown reads, "He Who Angers You Controls You." Every day I see this, I happen to be in my car, the location I find myself most angry. And for what reason? The people in the other cars cannot hear me yelling profanities at them for their poor driving habits. What good does this do to give in to the anger? To let it out? To give any attention to it?

I'm a firm believer that the human experience is most fulfilling with a wide range of emotions. To be placid, happy, and content all the time is not to live. A life without passion is not living. And yet, these swings of emotions, when not in check, portray me as unstable, a slave to every whim. Essentially, I lack self control.

So how do I choose happiness? Even writing this, I've sat looking at those words for a few minutes, stumped. I'm an ambitious person, but reaching achievement will not make me happy forever, because I will always be in search of the next goal. How does one stay content with the grass on this side of the fence?

That is essentially the ultimate goal of this series: to learn the contentment and self-esteem that is so lacking in our society. I hope you'll watch, and hopefully there will be some inspiration!

PS: Here's a thought I'm going to try this week from my friend, Laura. She writes a blog with her sister, Lisa, about becoming a mom who knows how to raise a Christian child. This is an excerpt:

"Goal: Make a conscious effort to smile all the time, even if sometimes you have to force it.

Some ideas to help:
Smile when you are by yourself - in the shower, cooking meals, driving in the car.
Smile at the people you see - store clerks, neighbors, drivers who cut you off, anyone.
Smile at your kids, especially when they are doing something that makes you want to scream.
Smile at your husband. Even Particularly he needs to see your smile.
Smiling is so simple, but can be so easy to forget to do. I am excited to make an effort to smile more and see how different I feel at the end of the week."

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