| |
| |
|
Happiness Information |
|
|
|
Getting To The Root Of Unhappiness
Many people live in clutter, emotionally eat themselves into overweight, live in debt, hate their jobs and otherwise live unhappy lives, unable and seemingly unwilling to change. Why? What do these have in common? What is the core issue? Fear, or rather an absence of love. Fear, and not hate, is the "dark side" or opposite/absence of love, the way darkness is the opposite/absence of light. Whether your self image is controlled by unhealthy or uncontrolled overweight or fanatic perfection, both stem from fear. In the first, food is used to comfort upset emotions and to retreat into - a true friend that never lets you down. In the latter (and sometimes the former), control over the body supplants a loss of control elsewhere in life, eventually taking over that life. Clutter is almost always fear-based - fear of not having something and needing it, fear of getting rid of something important, fear of leaving oneself open to new experiences (which can't come in because your house - and by extension your life - is already full) and fear of being alone with oneself and one's thoughts (clutter requires so much of our energy to deal with and work around, it can serve as a sort of mental static to keep us too busy to think about important things). Debt is another symptom of fear - people get into debt for many fear-based reasons (like needing stuff to make themselves feel better, or for fear of not keeping up with the Jones' and being socially outcast). Another part to this equation is that many people will not get rid of their access to credit (cut up cards, etc) because there is always that "what if an emergency happens and we don't have cash on hand to pay for it?" which is made moot by the fact that most of their credit cards are maxed out anyway. Debt is also a symptom of the fear of doing without, even when carried to extremes. The fear of going without and the feelings of "being without" fancy clothes or expensive meals out is no less than the fear and experience of going without basic clothing and food, although the reality is different. Working at a job you hate is nothing but fear - fear of not having enough, fear of quitting and not being able to find other work (or finding it and being stuck with something even worse), fear of not being to keep up with your "stuff habit" or your debt, fear of failure, fear of success, fear of relying on yourself, fear of doing things differently or out-of-the-box (running your own business, running off to Mexico, etc), fear of letting the family down, fear of "wasting" your education, fear of what other will say, think, fear that your mom/dad/sister/evil art teacher were right and so on. Fear is the basis for pretty much all human suffering, not counting natural disasters and other acts of God. And the opposite of fear is love. Love creates an ecosphere of calm and plenty, because you know there is enough (if only just enough) and so feel no need to "get mine before someone else does." Nor do you feel the need to hoard (clutter) or gather in more than you can afford (debt) to assure yourself of plenty. In a world of love, all are accepted and loved for their own personal strengths and forgiven their faults, therefore negating the need for drowning in the comfort of stuff and food (debt and overweight), or worrying about what others will think if you quit your job to become a Mexican portrait painter (toxic job). And on and on. Learn to live with love, for yourself and for others, even when they don't meet your standards (even the rich and awful deserve your love, for they serve their purpose, too). Creating a world of love is up to each of us. We cannot wait to see if others take the first step. They are waiting for us. (c) Soni Pitts ABOUT THE AUTHOR Soni Pitts is the Chief Visionary Butt-Kicker of SoniPitts.Com. She specializes in helping others reclaim "soul proprietorship" in their lives and to begin living the life their Creator always intended for them. She is the author of the free e-book "50 Ways To Reach Your Goals" and over 100 self-help and inspirational articles, as well as other products and resources designed to facilitate this process of personal growth and spiritual development.
MORE RESOURCES:
Happiness - Google News |
|
|
|
RELATED ARTICLES
The Elusive Butterfly of Happiness Are You Chasing the Elusive Butterfly of Happiness?For many people happiness is an elusive butterfly in the garden of life. Imagine a young child in the garden on a summer day. Are You Getting in the Way? Getting out of our busy mode and into our heart occasionally, I'm certain that many of us would find at least one moment during our day where we could pause, reflect on a situation, and see something that we can do to make a difference in someone else's life.The pace of life and work has increased a lot and I daresay we don't give as much thought as we could to the circumstances of other people's lives. The Gift is in the Giving I have to be honest. I made the woman cashier at BIG! LOTS cry. Eleven Keys to Success and Happiness 1. Mend a quarrel Seek out a forgotten friend and tell them how much you enjoyed them once and that you wish them peace. Suffering and Happiness The one feature that sets life on Earth apart from a paradise is suffering. It poses a problem for humanity and calls for a solution. Laughter The most wasted of all days is one without laughter." e. Sweeten Up Your Life Sometimes life experiences can be like a lemon-flavored Tootsie Roll Pop. Hard and sour on the outside. Quick Steps On Being Happier Want to be happier?Edward W. Smith, motivational speaker, author and TV show host, who specializes in quick tips on how to move your life ahead even faster, offers the following advice. The American Dream - At What Cost? When people are asked, "How many of you are content and happy with what you have?" the reply of an overwhelming majority of people is "Not me." And when they are asked what do they want most out of life, the typical reply is "I want to be happy," as if happy is some kind of a place, like Disneyland or Happy Land. The Art Of Happy Living What do you think about happiness? A philosophical approach to life; an intellectual activity or an academical pursuit. No, not at all, nothing of the sort. Give a Hug for Happiness Hugs have a long and honorable tradition, going back to the day the caveman first squeezed his wife and discovered that no ketchup squeezed out. Since then, he found that his wife makes an awesome teddy bear, and he can always squeeze a rhinoceros when he wants ketchup for his hotdog (which gave him the necessary motivation to go hunting when his wife asked him to). Top 25 Happiness Quotations "There are hundreds of languages in the world, but a smile speaks them all."--Anonymous"Happiness is a conscious choice, not an automatic response. Happiness - Work Now or Later? Long-term success and happiness follows hand-in-hand with strength of character.As I mention in my book, Fast Track Your Success and Happiness, If we want to achieve a certain goal, we simply must do things that are less pleasant now than other alternatives have the potential to be. Health, Wealth, and Love What is happiness? The dictionary defines it as "a state of well-being characterized by emotions ranging from contentment to intense joy."Like many dictionary definitions, this may be accurate, but needs to be more specific to be of practical use. Happiness Without Prescription As life and lifestyles speed up, so does the growing increase of the sense of longing, wandering just what else is there for ourselves, our families. Some people address their thoughts and feelings as valid and some do the exact opposite, they act as if those questions don't exist. Finding Your Life Purpose You have a purpose in life. You have a unique gift or special talent. Develop a Guiding Philosophy for Happiness Groundedness is one of the most important components of a satisfied life. Being grounded means having a guiding philosophy - a foundation of personal integrity that outside influences cannot disturb. Having Fun with Life It was just a few degrees shy of swimming weather a few weeks ago at the beach. I walked along the shore in my jeans and a red tankini top, the salt air refreshing against my skin but not quite cold. Seven Strategies You Need to Know About Strengthening Your Self-Esteem Did you know that your life's success in all areas is directly related to having a healthy self-esteem? You've heard the cliché "You are what you eat." Many would also argue that "You are what you think. How to Stop Attracting Negative People to Your Life Placing your attention, energy and focus on the negative aspects of some people in your life brings you more of the same. Simply put, that's the Law of Attraction at work.
|
| home | index |site map |
| © 2006 |
