Posted: Thursday, September 20, 2012 12:00 am
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Updated: 9:03 pm, Wed Sep 19, 2012.
Northwest Missourian
Am I happy? Where can I find happiness? Can you buy a happy life? Everyone asks these questions. You might be thinking, does anyone really ask if you can buy happiness? To be honest, I do not think so, but it does seem to be what people try to do.
People chase jobs or houses trying to have the best stuff, but are they really happy? We spend all of our time searching for happiness or putting it off. “I will be happy when (insert a job, car, or any other thing),” what if the truth is much simpler?
What if happiness is not a unicorn that you will never catch, but instead right in front of you each and every day? What if it is that moment when you are sitting next to the person you love or an ice cold soda on a hot day? What if happiness is not something to be found but something to cultivate, grow and maintain? Happiness is not a secret treasure to only be found by the few, but a realization that the treasure you were looking for is all around you.
Psychology, from the beginning, has taken on the noble goal of helping the ill, but there is clearly more to life than not being sick. Within the last 30 years, a new field of psychology has grown called positive psychology. Positive psychology is the science of happiness.
The leading scientists in the field of positive psychology suggest that there may be many different ways to become happy. One of the exercises suggested is starting a journal of positive things. Every night a person would write about at least three things that made them happy in this journal.
Another suggestion is to go and engage in an activity to help another person. Science has shown that helping people is one of the easiest ways to increase your own happiness.
I am sure this all may seem a bit cheesy or cliché, but do me a favor from one person to another: use this week and set aside some time to look for the things that make you happy. With each one of these things, take the time to be present and to enjoy each happy moment.
I will give you this guarantee: you will see people, places and things like you have never have before, and with any luck, you will be happy.
Posted in
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Thursday, September 20, 2012 12:00 am.
Updated: 9:03 pm.
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