Go on Amazon. Do a search for books on happiness. You'll
find over 15,000 titles. Everyone wants to be happy and some need help finding
it. Some even believe that the purpose of life is to be happy. We seek people
and things that will fulfill this dream. "I want to marry someone who's
going to make me happy." "I love going skiing - I'm in heaven when
I'm on the slopes." "I'm happiest when I'm with my grandchildren. But
then they leave and I'm totally sad." And therein lies the problem. If we
seek people and/or things to make us cheerful, then when they are no longer
present in our lives, or if the conditions are not ideal according to our
standards, we find ourselves disillusioned and depressed.
In time, some come to realize that happiness is an inside
job - it is a mindset that we maintain in spite of our current circumstances.
Happiness, to a large degree, is the byproduct of gratitude. When we focus on
what we have to be thankful for, we get a sense of pleasure and contentment. So,
if I'm reasonably joyful then I have nothing to complain about. This may be as
good as it gets.
Not only is happiness not the purpose of life it is also not
the most important objective either. So what is? Some might say "nothing
matters more than love." And while I would conclude that love is a
critical goal (to be a loving person as well as to be loved), again, there is
an intention far more significant.
In my book, The Great Truth: Shattering Life's Most
Insidious Lies That Sabotage Your Happiness Along With the Revelation of Life's
Sole Purpose, I discuss the single most essential matter we must pursue that
takes precedent over everything else: to
live a life of impeccable moral integrity, to live in such a way that embodies
the purest essence of the Divine, to live only to emulate God in physical form.
Most people I know believe in God and try to be good, to be
kind, to do what is right, and to help others.
And being human they, like myself, often fall short - most noticeably
because we deny our Spiritual (Divine) selves and operate from a place of ego
(me-oriented). We concern ourselves primarily with the self: getting our needs
met, making sure we are treated fairly, doing what we want or what feels good
in the moment. This presents a problem when it interferes with doing what is in
the best interest of the other person or persons. Yet when we live solely to
please God, we always make morally right decisions which naturally benefit all
concerned. Living to please God is not an easy task. It means giving up the
self, developing an intimate relationship with the Divine, living in complete
accordance with Divine Law.
Yet the surprising outcome of a life devoted to obeying
God's Law, to living exclusively to please Him is abundant joy, infinite love,
and a deep and abiding sense of inner peace. Knowing that you have made morally right decisions, that
every thought, word, and action reflects perfect love, that you have not
inflicted harm on any of God's creations but rather have uplifted and enriched
the lives of all whom you encountered brings a sense of deep self-respect and
admiration for a life well-lived. And that, my friend, trumps simple happiness
any day.
To order a copy of The Secret Side of Anger or The Great
Truth visit http://www.pfeifferpowerseminars.com/pps1-products.html
Listen to past shows on iHeart Radio @ http://www.iheart.com/talk/show/53-Anger-911-Radio/
New shows added
weekly.
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