Do You Have A Dream?

March 9, 2009

Everyone had a dream at one time or another. Many people put them aside as they get older for fear of being thought silly or unpractical. If you had enough money, confidence, ability and anything else you might need, what would you do? Which people, plights, situations move you the most? If you could help [...]

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Don’t Worry, Be Happy

March 9, 2009

Don’t worry be happy. This sounds such a simplistic phrase, but there is great power and wisdom in it. Worry blocks our thinking, narrows our options and limits us. Being happy increases our creativity and problem solving skills. It increases our energy, motivation and our abilities. Don’t worry, be happy tells us to focus on [...]

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The Definition Of Happiness To Live By

March 9, 2009

A clear definition of happiness is very difficult to find for such a common term. When I have asked others for a definition of happiness the most general response is a feeling of contentment. As a result of this, many people, perhaps subconsciously, tend to be a little wary of happiness. Happiness seems to be [...]

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Be In The World But Not Of It

March 9, 2009

Jesus preached to ‘be in the world but not of it’.   Buddha had similar instructions, though put differently. He told his followers the world was full of suffering. And so they had to transcend worldly concerns if they were to transcend suffering.   And since then there have been many wise sages who’ve given [...]

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Authentic Happiness or Temporary Happiness?

March 9, 2009

Authentic happiness is not what most people talk of, when they talk about being happy. True happiness is a state where you know that you will be happy tomorrow… next week… and next year. You know you will be happy if the sun shines tomorrow… or if it rains. Authentic happiness does not depend on [...]

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Aristotle, Virtues And Happiness

March 9, 2009

Aristotle believed virtues led to happiness The happiness that Aristotle spoke of was not necessarily the same that we would think of today. Today our view of happiness tends to be hedonic. We want to feel good immediately and tend not to think too far ahead. So we see a night out or a pleasant [...]

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About Happiness

March 9, 2009

A few words about happiness.    So many people go through life getting less than they want. Less happiness… less success… less love. And yet really happiness, love and success are the most natural thing for us to experience.   I know that right now, this might sound crazy to you, but if you bear [...]

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Is Letting Go To Allow Suffering?

May 19, 2008

Thanks to those people who took the time to comment after reading the Happiness 2.0 Report. Brian asked some questions that I think we all struggle with from time to time. I’m going to address the first one here and follow on with the second.

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Why do some people die happy, while others look back and see nothing but misery, bitterness and hardship?

July 19, 2007

George Vaillant, a Harvard Professor was interested in just these questions and over a 40 year study analysed Harvard Graduates. He detailed his findings in a book called ‘Adaptation to Life’. What most interested me about this study was this…Vaillant found that 5% of the people in the study were what Psychologist’s call optimally adjusted [...]

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