Materialism, babies and finding happiness

You will definitely find one common theme throughout all the articles I write – Having does not produce happiness as many believe.

Lots of people when asked what would help them find happiness will say “more money”. When you get them to dril down nobody wants more money! It is what you can do with the money they want, but theyare not clear on this and end up chasing money all their lives.

This excerpt from a great article in a Maylasian paper (isn’t the world small!) written by WONG YEEN FERN is an example of an excellent view on finding happiness.

Suresh also discussed ‘conditioned happiness’ – a phrase linking materialistic factors to the kind of happiness which he said will not be permanent.He said that those who enjoy ‘conditioned happiness’ will get depressed easily when materialistic needs no longer abound.Ultimately, he emphasised, to attain ‘real’ happiness in life, an individual should not have any hatred, must be friendly, compassionate and forgiving and free from any attachment to egoism.

Rentakini :: Malaysians must learn to laugh more

In my book BeDoHave Find Happiness Now, I talk about finding the joy of a baby. Wong Fern gives a fact I did not know.

“Babies laugh 300 times a day but as they grow older, their laughter becomes less. When they become adults, their laughter is reduced to only 15 times a day.”

Rentakini :: Malaysians must learn to laugh more

Laugh like a baby today!

Miami

comments?


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The ‘expert’ (ugh) on finding happiness

Tell the truth, I am getting a bit sick of experts! They are people like me and you who get quoted and then everyone takes their words as gospel.

BS. I am getting too less young to be taken in.

I do read a lot about happiness, and finding happiness (after all I have to keep up so I can be an expert too!) and when I do I find there is nothing that has not been said in the last 2000 years or so.

But anyway here is an excerpt from an article in the penningtonpost.com (wherever that is!) by Nancy Pickering talking about one of my favorite people Charles Shultz. (author of Peanuts)

We cannot expect to live in a state of complete happiness, say the experts. We should expect our happiness to come in bursts, for, after all, happiness is an emotion that gives us direction. We can’t always have our compass pointing in one direction. There are other emotions that direct our lives.
However, several truly happy moments a day are within reach. The recognition of and impact of those moments can only be determined by the person experiencing them. While you may smile when you walk barefoot through dew-laden grass on a sunny morning, someone else might cringe and find the experience “yucky,” to quote a famous grouch. So, taking a page from the “Peanuts” gang and Maria’s “favorites” list, I compiled the following short and personal “Happiness” collection – the smell of coffee brewing (I don’t drink it, just love the smell) and knowing the one who brewed it has been there for me for more than 40 years; flowers blooming where you don’t expect them; children giggling; toddler hugs; a real letter (not an e-mail); someone who says thank you; someone who smiles; finding a penny; walking in the rain; planting something; sewing something; knitting something with real wool; baking something; writing something; phone calls from my children and grandchildren and line-dried, clean sheets at the end of a busy day.
No matter how short-lived our happiness moments, they all benefit our well-being. So, in the middle of a hectic, frustrating day, it pays to pause and find some happiness close at hand. According to the experts, it may just affect your emotional compass and send you off in the right direction.

The Pennington Post – Happiness is…

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For the last three years I have been steadily (well off and on anyway) working on a project soon to be released. It will be a limited release and might well offer the opportunity to change a life. I will offer it first to my readers before taking it out to the web.
All you have to do is sign up for the rss feed or the free Two Steps on the sidebar at the top.

Look forward to hearing from you!

Miami

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Why Personal Growth is SO Lucrative

In this great article by Daegen Smith of market-day.net, he(she?) does an outstanding job of relating personal growth to success – however you define it.

For the last 7 or 8 years my passion has evolved to being very focused on helping people with personal growth/personal development through coaching, teleseminars, articles etc.

I realized pretty quickly personal growth builds the foundation for happiness. Some believe success comes before happiness, but I disagree. (And from personal experience no less!)

Happiness has to be first, or the success can leave a sour taste. What about lottery winners? Are they successful? Are they happy? Yea – but for how long?

I encourage you to read this article!

Personal growth is so important for it allows you to understand what is important to you, it allows you to recognize your weaknesses and face them, and it permits you to strive for balance while opening other door towards recognizing your personal strengths and weaknesses…

Why Personal Growth is SO Lucrative

What do you think?

Had a great time in San Diego at the internet marketing conference put on by Ed Dale and Frank Kern of Underachievers and the Thirty Day Challenge.

Back to work!

Miami

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What the Bleep do they know about finding happiness?

In the Sunday Times Online out of London today is an article detailing a scientific debate about happiness. There is a particularly interesting paragraph I wanted to share with you.

Great writers from Freud — “the intention that man should be happy is not included in the plan of Creation” — to Philip Larkin — “man hands on misery to man” — have painted happiness as an elusive butterfly. But ordinary people believe they are happier than average (an obvious impossibility) and that they’ll be even happier in 10 years’ time. If true, it would be good news because research shows that happier people are healthier, more successful, harder-working, caring and more socially engaged. Misery makes people self-obsessed and inactive.

So what do you have to do to find happiness? – Sunday Times – Times Online

What this tells me is that I have been right all along. Experts are usually no closer to the truth than we are. Take it heart and use it to be happier!

In San Diego!

Miami

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