Self Improvement » Happiness

An Attempt to Define Happiness: What is Happiness?

icamm — Thu, 18 Jun 2009 10:00:03 +0000

Happiness is thought to be the very core of human struggle. We claim of doing things to get to the path that leads to happiness. We go beyond our lives and see why and how other people get their happiness. The sad truth though is that too many times, we have failed to recognize that happiness is always within sight. In fact, it has always been within us. But we are often too blinded to see this truth, let alone accept it. Thus, we endlessly count on external motivations that would drive us to finding happiness.

Happiness is anything and everything that would account to the feeling of elation and contentment. It is in its basic nature, a pleasant feeling. But if we are to actually describe what happiness is, we might find ourselves on our wit’s end to actually create a concrete meaning out of something that man finds too complicated.

It all lies in our perception of its meaning and feeling and out of the purity of our souls. Many claim that happiness is one of the most difficult things to achieve yet what we truly are seeing here is the lack of a clean soul that would pour out happiness to the world.

Why can’t we find happiness? It is because we are too preoccupied with the materiality of our happiness. It is not a stone or a whisper that you can touch or hear. But it is always there. It will definitely come as a wind when no one expects it and too many times we have overlooked it.

It wasn’t intended to satisfy human vanities. It is practically everything, yes but everything excludes all things that would inflict damage to another fellow or to affect him in any negative way possible. Happiness ends where discord lays its path. Happiness ceases to exist when the last light of hope vanishes because men wish to side more on evil than in good.

There are no complex principles underlying it nor there are complex methods to accomplish before we ever achieve the state of happiness. We are just about as happy as we want ourselves to be or as we set our minds to be. How many instances in our life did our mental settings affect the clarity of our emotions? It all lies in how we see things. If we see romance in every flower that buds or joy in every good human act we hear, it is no doubt that our hearts are uncorrupted with evil.

We have mentioned about the purity of the souls. How to identify it? There are no intricate ways. Its just this- a soul that finds no happiness in any wrongdoing. A soul that doesn’t tune into the devil’s voice. And a soul that doesn’t entertain a single rotten thought.

We have to be keen in identifying what rotten thoughts, wrongdoings and devil’s voice though. Often, we find it convenient to follow what our innate beast tells us. It sure leads to the short cuts of achievements things. However, the products of listening into this beast side are passing. They only benefit you for a while and destroy you eventually. Like a chocolate coating that hides a molten poison at its core.

It takes enlightenment to know what is evil and not. But remember that you are constantly guided. However, at one point or another, we find it dissatisfying to listen to the good that lives within us. Because for some mysterious scheme, it normally drives us to longer roads, where too few roads meet because so many have abandoned this road and have taken the easier route to perdition.

Happiness doesn’t ask so much yet it will provide you with endless resources of joy and contentment. The only part you have to take is not to be like the many who would rather have eaten the chocolate-covered poison for the road out front is easier but to make a difference and follow the long path that leads to happiness.

Success and happiness is not always material

icamm — Sun, 10 May 2009 08:30:03 +0000

When most people think of happiness and being successful they think of owning big houses, fast cars, expensive designer clothes and how big of a bank balance you have, however, how successful and happy you are does not necessarily depend on the material things you have in life.

If you are happy in life with what you have got regardless of the material possessions that you own or don’t own, then you are a very wealthy and successful person indeed. It is very often the smallest things in life which are priceless but are not of any great value other than the particular person who cherishes them for one reason or another, these can be photographs, cards, a song or even memories can be precious to an individual.

In a society where we have been brought up believing material possessions are what is important it can be hard to believe that owning material possessions isn’t what makes us happy and brings success, how common it is to hear someone say “if only I had this or that, I would be the happiest person on earth”, however should we get what it is we wish for we are never satisfied and only begin to dream and wish we had something better. The newness of having a material possession soon wears off, and this pattern is continued throughout life in the majority of people. This is perhaps easier to realize if you think back to when you were a child, your parents would spend hundreds of dollars on birthdays and Christmas presents because you had to have that “special” toy, but how quickly they were discarded when something new came onto the scene.

The same applies to wealth, it doesn’t matter how much money you had, would you really think that you had enough? Would having a bank account with thousands of dollars make such a difference to your life, would it bring you anymore happiness or success than you have now?

We all want to live a comfortable life, without struggling each month to pay bills, that’s only natural, but apart from that money doesn’t bring true happiness and success, you can have thousands in the bank but if you’re alone in life, without real friends and family, without love, then you can never find true happiness and success.

What is success and happiness?

In order to determine actually what success and happiness means you should first ask yourself this

* What is the meaning of success and happiness?

* What would being truly successful and happy mean?

* What do I want out of life?

These are the core questions behind understanding what happiness and success really would mean to you as an individual, for happiness and success means different things to each of us. You can be rich and successful in many more ways than having material possessions and money, think about some of the things you have in your life now, are you one of the richest and most successful people on the earth?

* True friends – if you can count on one hand five true friends who are always there for you through thick and thin then your are rich indeed

* Health – if you have good health through taking care of what you eat, exercising regularly then this is far more valuable than any amount of money in the bank

* A family – if you have a family around you who loves you then you will have a successful, rewarding and very happy life

* A good character – if you are an honest, kind and truthful person in all situations then you have success beyond your wildest dreams.

Swell with Happiness without the Delusions

icamm — Fri, 10 Apr 2009 08:45:02 +0000

Do you still remember the last time you swell with happiness? Did it happen so long ago that you cannot even remember? Or worst, was there ever such a time in your life?

It is an understatement to say that there are a lot of unhappy people all over the world. The truth is that majority of people are very unhappy. If you try and list down the reasons for this unhappiness, you might realize that papers in the world combined are not enough to accommodate all of them.

One of the top reasons why people do not swell with happiness is that they fall victim to some of delusions they have about happiness. In thinking that these are the things that can lead to ultimate happiness, they waste their time and energy trying to achieve them. It is in the end that they realize that they have been led to believe and ended up with nothing.

What are some of the delusions that people associate with happiness?

1. To be happy is to be with someone.

Some people find happiness with a special person or friend. And it follows that without those people, you are left feeling miserable and unhappy.

You should know that happiness is within you. You do not need to depend on others to achieve personal happiness. What if those persons suddenly die? Does that mean that you are letting all thoughts of happiness die with them?

Any day, any time and with any one is a great opportunity to swell with happiness. The reason for this is that you feel content with what you have. And that you are capable of creating your own happiness without the presence of another.

2. To be lucky is to be happy.

It is a fact that there are many fortunate people around. You may also be one of those. But luck can run out any minute and when you least expect it. If you were dependent on these streaks of luck already, you will probably feel depressed and inconsolable.

Luck expires but happiness does not. You have what it takes to be happy any time you want to. All you need is to program yourself that no matter what fate will give, you will still feel fortunate that is was given you.

Do not expect good fortune to always smile on you. There will always be bumps along the road. Make sure that you maintain a positive attitude during these times.

3. Money is equal to happiness.

This is probably the greatest delusion that people have about happiness. And this is the main reason why some people are forever working themselves stiff. They want money. And they want it because they want to be happy.

If you were put in the shoes of rich people, you will realize the mistake in this concept. Notice that the more you have money, the more problems you will have. This is because you are becoming too dependent on it.

Like all other kinds of things, money is consumed. Once you have spent all of your money, expect people and things to be different. You will not be able to enjoy the pleasure that money can give. It will eventually lead to depression and finally, to unhappiness.

Happiness is within you. You do not need outside factors to bring out that feeling. You can will your happiness and make it swell for everyone to see.

The top 7 ways to control your anger and be happy

icamm — Thu, 26 Mar 2009 09:00:03 +0000

Everyone gets angry at sometime in his or her life over something that happens. However, anger is a negative emotion that leads to feelings of sadness, guilt, frustration, unhappiness and helplessness. Anger is an emotion which we must recognize and be able to let go in order to be happy and successful in life, finding a resolution for the anger is essential in being able to let it go and move on. Knowing what you are actually angry with helps, do you feel angry at another’s actions or are you angry at your own reaction? Finding out what actually upsets you is an important factor in actually narrowing down what it is that is bothering you. The more you practice controlling your anger the easier it becomes to let it go and move on and by learning to control your anger you are effectively learning to take control over your life and happiness. Here are 7 top tips for gaining control over your anger.

1. When you feel anger beginning to build up inside of you, let your whole body droop and relax to the best of your ability while beginning to breathe from the diaphragm, breathing in this way helps to calm both the body and mind which leads to letting go of the anger before it takes a hold.

2. Ask yourself if being angry and working yourself up is going to make any difference to the situation, for example if someone cuts in front of you, is it really going to change anything if you curse and blow your horn. Is it worth stressing yourself?

3. Visualize a stress free zone in your mind, this should be a place where you feel totally relaxed and calm and a place which only you knows about where you can quickly go too when you feel anger beginning to build up inside. It can be a totally imaginary place or one that you have visited in life where you feel totally relaxed and at ease.

4. When you feel anger beginning to build up due to someone else’s actions think of yourself doing exactly the same thing as they did, would you be angry with yourself if you were the one doing it?

5. Realize that it’s you and you alone that is allowing the anger to build up inside of you, while it may have been caused by someone else, you chose to let it bother you and to get angry.

6. Counting to 10 really can help to diffuse anger, by concentrating on counting you are forgetting what happened and are consciously letting anger go.

7. Repeat an affirmation or mantra to yourself whenever you feel anger beginning to build up inside, for example tell yourself to “take it easy”, “I feel calm and relaxed”, “anger isn’t going to get me anywhere” or “let it go”. Affirmations can help to diffuse your anger and get you back on the right track to thinking in a more positive and calming way.

True Happiness: Is it Possible?

icamm — Tue, 10 Mar 2009 09:15:02 +0000

Is there really a thing such as true happiness? Is there a sole individual who can attest that he’s got true happiness in his life? Happiness has a lot of definitions and you cannot just stick with one. People are often unaware of their own condition-whether they are experiencing true happiness or not. It is a fallacy if you adhere with the thought that happiness is governed by a person’s luck or destiny. It is extremely wrong to say that some people are made to experience true happiness while others are unlucky to do so. You can be happy if you really want to! Yes, there is nothing impossible with finding true happiness. It all depends on you. You just need some effort and change your perception of things.

Here are significant insights which will lead you to experiencing true happiness. If you only learn to adopt them, then sooner or later you can enjoy living your life contentedly.

Know what will really make you happy. There is nothing more hassle-free than being able to engage in things which you have your full interest on. You must understand that people are made up differently. What will make your friend happy will not necessarily give you true happiness. There are several reasons that will make you happy and it is vital that you know which one will do you good. Let your own individuality surface. Do not be worried if it is not the same with other people.

Device a plan which you know will lead you to true happiness. As long as you are at peace with your own mind, heart, and soul and if you feel okay with your own self, there is a greater chance of experiencing true happiness. Your mood will be uplifted when you know what to do to make you happy.

Mingle with happy individuals. Happiness is contagious. If you are surrounded by negative thinkers, then you are likely to be influenced by them. But if happy people are your comrades, then you will be a lot happier too.

Never ever pity yourself. The wrong thing with people is that they often pity themselves if ever they fail in any endeavor. Instead of consuming yourself with self-pitying, why not think of a solution so that your burden will be eased? Avoid feeling sorry for your whole being. Stop blaming yourself too. This will only make your situation worse than ever. Instead, always stay on the positive side.

Think of yourself. When you have your focus on your own self, you are led to uncovering the positive things that are present in your existence. It will help you a lot in prioritizing the elements that will do you good.

Learn to love yourself. Spoil yourself. Despite the worries you have in life, do not let your spirits get drowned in all these negativities. Take time to relax such as getting a massage, eating out, meeting people, and improving your appearance.

Laugh. Despite all adversities, take time to laugh. This will be the best medicine that you can take in. Let the situation lighten up and act normally. Thinking about the situation will certainly lead you away from true happiness.

Stay healthy. Take care of your health or else your mood and your perception will get affected too.

Dare to do something different. If you try doing something out of your routine, your dull and colorless life can be changed.

Remember that you deserve to experience true happiness. Do not fail to pamper yourself with the factors that will lead you to it.

What does happiness mean?

icamm — Wed, 25 Feb 2009 09:45:03 +0000

Do you feel there is something missing from your life? That perhaps the world is against you or that other people seem to smile, laugh and be a lot more happy and contented in life than you are? Have you ever stopped to wonder why this might be? Moreover, what you can do about it? Have you even considered what happiness actually is?

Happiness and contentment in life differs for all of us, what makes one person happy doesn’t necessarily bring contentment to another. Very often we are happy in life but we just don’t realize it. Very often the hustle and bustle of life can completely overtake all else and leaves us little time to enjoy the things that make us smile and enjoy life to the fullest. If you stop and sit down and think about what actually makes you happy and feel contented, you might actually find you have those things already around you but you just didn’t realize it.

However there are times when we can get into a slump and haven’t yet come across the conditions that we regard as bringing happiness and contentment. If this is the case then you have to figure out what changes you need to make, to bring happiness into your life, in most cases it is the smallest of things which bring happiness and you have the power to gain them by working towards them.

Your happiness and contentment depends entirely on you, no one else can give it you, it is something inside you that you have to find and work towards. You can either decide to stop in the rut or to take positive action and make changes to your life or yourself in order to accomplish contentment.

In order to understand what happiness means to you, the first step you should take is looking at your emotions, ask yourself questions such as “if I could be enjoying something in my life, what would it be?” and “what makes me feel contented in my life right now?” Once you understand what your vision of happiness and contentment is you can build on what you have now or focus on changing your life to what you would like it to be.

The important thing to remember is to examine your feelings by way of the answers you give to your questions, examine them honestly and concentrate on the good or bad feelings that you get from your questions and answers.

There is no magic spell or potion that can bring you contentment and happiness, it is something that is already right there inside of you, you just have to realize what it is and develop and bring it out to start enjoying life. Happiness can be found in family life, work, relationships, nature or a pet, to name just a few, in fact it can be found in anything and any situation if you just know where to look and look in the right direction, the inner you.

Stay happy: don’t hold onto grudges

icamm — Tue, 10 Feb 2009 08:15:02 +0000

By holding onto grudges, we are holding onto the past and this holds us back and stops us from growing and going onward with our lives. Grudges and not allowing ourselves to let go of the past is negative and negativity holds us back and stops us from achieving what we are capable of achieving out of life and encourages resentment, unhappiness and fear instead of being happy in life and finding peace within ourselves. Forgiveness is the key to happiness, true forgiveness is when you can release all your negative feelings towards another and let them go completely, you have to let the grudge go not only through words of acceptance but also feel it in your heart and soul.

Why is forgiving so difficult to do?

It is our negative ego that causes us to hold a grudge and tells us not to let it go, like all things that block success and happiness in our life, negativity again plays a huge part, only this time it affects our ego. By letting negativity affect our lives this way we are opening up the door and welcoming bitterness and deep resentment and these manifest deep within us and show themselves in our health. Holding onto a grudge causes ulcers, stress and general overall poor health so it is essential that we learn to let go of our resentment and move on with life by letting go of our grudges. As with every other problem relating to negativity in our lives it is all about how we think, forgiveness is all about letting go of harmful train of thought patterns and developing new ones.

Developing the ability to let go

Developing the ability to let go takes time, if you allow yourself to look at your feelings honestly and calmly then you will realize that negative feelings evaporate and you begin to feel peace of mind through letting go of deep resentment. The key to truly forgiving is first being able to release your hurt and anger that person has caused you, without letting go of these feelings; true forgiveness is next to impossible. If you try to forgive without releasing these feelings then the hurt and anger you feel will only continue to build and will manifest as resentment further down the road and resentment will eventually rear its ugly head, have no doubt about that.

A great way of releasing your feelings is to look directly at them and in great detail, admitting what it is that has hurt you and why it hurt you and realizing why you have to let it go, look at your feelings in a different light and gradually allow yourself to forgive and let go. Forgiveness has to come from deep within you, there is no outside force which keeps a grudge building up, the feelings of forgiveness can only be generated from within yourself, only you can take responsibility and forgive and let go and move on in a more peaceful and contented life.

Why Does the Pursuit of Happiness Tend to be Difficult?

icamm — Wed, 21 Jan 2009 07:45:03 +0000

How can you be happy? What are the steps and procedures to make your pursuit of happiness a guaranteed one?

The society of today has developed several standards and norms which have led the people to believe that they need to fit into these things in order to find and enjoy happiness itself. More often than not, a lot of individuals misconstrue the real deal between the pursuit of happiness and the guarantee of becoming happy in life. Happiness cannot be assured. More so, your pursuit of happiness is not really ensured to have a positive result. Just how many people in the total population of United States claim that they find their pursuit of happiness to no avail?

The existing trend in today’s culture has inculcated in every person that being unhappy means that there is someone or something who needs to be blamed by you. This belief had then misled several individuals and therefore just worsened their misery and unhappiness. As the case goes, failed marriages are often blamed to the parents of either of the couple because they had chosen the partner for them. Also, unhappy professionals credit their misery to the rest of their family members who had just forced them to take that certain line of profession. But who is really to blame? You must have a full control of your life. Do not say that you’ve been left without a choice because if you really wanted your pursuit of happiness to be successful, then you could have done your part.

The success of the pursuit of happiness is unplanned. You cannot cut out a flawless plan to attain happiness. As usual, those who always stay within the plan tend to fail at all times. But of course there is nobody in this entire universe who wants to end up in misery and unhappiness. Misplacing yourself comes as part of your destiny. It may be because you have planned out goals which are difficult to reach or that you have limited yourself with the most possible opportunities you could have grabbed.

No man is an island. You cannot survive without the presence of other people. You cannot be successful and be happy without the aid and contribution of other individuals. As you get too busy with your pursuit of happiness, you usually forget your present, you tend to forget the things and the persons you have in your life, and you also forget to look back where you’ve started, your current position in life, and your achievements as well. You crave for some more. You learn not to be contented. It is because you are too consumed with your pursuit of happiness but in truth you are ruining your own happiness!

This is the very basic reason as to why people say that they haven’t made their successful way in their pursuit of happiness. The rationale here is that you don’t exactly know how to recognize the things and persons that will let you feel happiness.

So what must be done in order to find success in your pursuit of happiness? Smile and laugh. Be positive. Welcome new experiences. Influence others for the better. Value what you have. Be contented. Stop finding perfection because this will only make your life dull and motionless. In short, love yourself and be yourself.

The Meaning of the Fruits of Pure Happiness

icamm — Sun, 28 Dec 2008 15:00:02 +0000

Any dictionary will give you the definition of happiness as an emotional feeling which parallels with joy, contentment, and pleasure. But then these things can thus be temporary. It matters to dig deeper into the real meaning of happiness-a happiness that is pure and long lasting.

What makes you happy? Is it the material things such as money, clothes, signature footwear and bags? Do you go for long-term states of happiness such as security, stable health, and love? Which do you value the most? Have you gained access to pure happiness? When was the last time you felt pure happiness? Have you given your all to a certain endeavor and you felt satisfied with all those efforts you’ve placed?

Pure happiness is said to be both an inner glow and an outer radiation that you can feel together with an utmost satisfaction.

Recognizing pure happiness is a must. There are several occurrences when you have been misled to the real deal with pure happiness and simple pleasure. To mark a definition between the two, it is vital that you know the exact difference that comes with the two terms. Pleasure is a thing of feeling terrific over something. Examples of pleasurable experiences are a vacation over the holidays, a spa treat during the weekend, a good basketball game, and so on. Meanwhile, pure happiness is far from feeling emotionally at ease. It goes more beyond enjoyment. In pure happiness lies contentment and engrossment.

So what is it that let people have pure happiness? Researchers have identified factors that can fully describe pure happiness in a person. They say that people from all walks of life experience true happiness but are just too occupied to pay any attention to it simply because they fail to recognize what pure happiness and pleasure mean.

Among the significant clues of pure happiness are being totally immersed with what you are doing, when you have your full participation on an event or engagement, when you are enjoying to the extreme but you’ve certainly got no idea with regards to the time, to the passing day, to the other occurrences taking place in your surroundings, and the genuine satisfaction that you feel. These are the instances that can tell you that you’ve got nothing but pure happiness in your mind and heart.

Pure happiness is actually a state wherein you feel like going along with the flow. You seem to be going along with the rock and roll that sets off smoothly, hassle-free, and effortlessly. It can be compared to an experience wherein the ticking of the clock suddenly stops and you become totally oblivious of the things that go on around you.

Pure happiness is a great feeling of satisfaction which is totally incomparable to the simple pleasures you get when you see your favorite baseball team winning. Pure happiness is felt when you overcome a challenge which has been posed to you.

There is chance of pure happiness for every individual. Do not be taken aback by the negative thought that pure happiness is only meant for other people. You deserve to experience pure happiness. When pure happiness comes your way, you can attest to how blessed you are as a person. Therefore, take time to reconcile things and occurrences in your life. Never fail to give importance to the value of pure happiness.

Making Yourself More Happy

icamm — Thu, 11 Dec 2008 17:00:07 +0000

Happiness. It’s the point of life, isn’t it? Pretty much everything that humans pursue throughout their lifetime they do in search of happiness. Some people put enormous amounts of efforts into activities that they believe will make them feel happy, only to feel miserable, while others are content with minor goals and are perfectly happy. In this article, we’ll attempt to demystify the issue of happiness and give you some help with becoming more happy yourself.

One of the most important things that you can do for your happiness is to live in the moment. Don’t worry about problems that are plaguing you in the future if you are out trying to have a good time; it will only lessen the experience that you’re having. Focus instead on the task at hand, and address the problems that you have when you can make time for them.

They say that laughter is the best medicine and more and more we are finding that there is plenty of truth to the statement. Anticipate the moments in the future when you’ll be having a good time, and you will find that you feel better almost instantly.

Your levels of sleep are closely tied to your levels of happiness. If it seems like you haven’t had the time to get a good nights sleep in a while, cancel some of your plans and stay home. Curl up with a good book and make sure that you get a good amount of sleep. Depriving yourself of sleep can turn good moods into sour ones in an instant.

You also may want to consider getting organized. When there is order in your life, you are less likely to stress out over minor things, and consequently, you may find that you are more happy.

Don’t allow others to make your decisions for you. If you are being pressured into doing something that you truly do not want to do, politely decline the offer. If you don’t think you will have a good time doing something, its almost a certainty that you will have a bummer time.

Another thing to consider is not spreading yourself too thin. Life can get confusing when you have multiple things that you are trying to get done, so instead you should focus on one task at a time. Make a list if you need to, and you will feel much better about yourself when you are able to check things off the list, giving you a feeling of accomplishment.

If you find yourself addicted to the news, you should consider taking a time-out and avoiding current events for a week or two. All of the gloom and doom that we see in the media may cause us to feel uncomfortable about life and consequently may cause us to feel unhappy.

These are just a few tips that can lay the groundwork for making you feel happier on an everyday basis. Try to simplify your life, and you will find that you are having a much better time. Don’t overwhelm yourself with tasks and goals, and instead take a slow and steady approach to achieveing the things that you desire in life. Your heightened level of happiness will help you to get through tasks with a minimum of difficulty.

Love and Happiness: What to Do when Things Begin to Fail

icamm — Tue, 11 Nov 2008 15:00:04 +0000

Many people equate love with happiness. Truly, when you are in love, you must be happy. If you no longer find happiness in loving, then the value is spoiled.

We find it hard to sustain a relationship when we begin to stop looking for justifications in everything we do, say holding on. Pain may shroud the love we have first started then anger would fill the gaps. The more we look for reasons behind the actions to sustain the love, the more frustrated we get. Until we eventually arrive to the conclusion that we never loved, instead we console ourselves with the belief that we only felt compassion or affection. And again as this conviction grows we become angry at things we don’t understand.

It is inevitable that people in relationships collide. Whether it is a personal relationship or a bond that you are managing to strengthen within a group of people, we can’t escape the fact that we always have to interact with people, both we like and we don’t like. The bigger the circle of people gets, the more collisions occur. And with each collision, unhappiness arises especially when our love for these people begins to fade.

We cannot exactly say that in relationships, love and happiness are always equated to the degree of closeness or affection the people involved shows. However, where one stays the other follows. If there is happiness then there must be love that accompanies it. And where love exists, happiness empowers the entities involved.

So long as an object of our focus provides us with happiness, we continue to love. But when the point comes that we begin to feel the need to detach ourselves from that object because it somehow has caused us pain and discouragement, we begin to feel hate or simply turn indifferent. Thus, just by leaving, that person or object brightens our day.

This should not be the case and this must never be. However, it seems to be the only course we anticipate when love and happiness leaves.

A friend once said- a good start is never good until it is pushed through. Don’t settle yourself with an initial state of love and happiness. Come to think of it, when you leave a relationship or start to discard your once object-of-love-and-happiness, you are loosing too much and will loose more.

Be optimistic, it all lies in the positive mind that you will maintain throughout the duration of your stay in a relationship. Not everything will turn out the way we want them to be. In fact, there are so many things that will never create a good ending. But the difference happens when we begin to take stock of our relationship and acknowledge the danger of not making it through because one believed not in holding on but in drifting away.

If you cant say anything nice and know for a fact that your words are the exact causes of you downfall from happiness and love then stop saying anything. Instead, keep quiet and have your partner do all the talking until both of you realize the extent of damage your words have caused you.

Relationships fall because of the lack of bliss and laughter. It is good to be loony and silly at times, this will help you feel both happiness and increased love.

There is never a satisfaction in playing safe. You wont be hurt, yes but you’ll be deprived of true love. So don’t be afraid, love deeply and compromise things for the object of your love.

Life Liberty and the Pursuit of Happiness: How Can it Pay Off?

icamm — Tue, 04 Nov 2008 03:00:02 +0000

Happiness has often been the main goal of everyone. Almost every soul in all parts of the globe is after the pursuit of happiness. In the United States, the citizens are always known to be the seekers of life liberty and the pursuit of happiness. What else can be tagged along your personality since you are known to be very liberated and the executioners of the Western culture?

Despite this branding, there are still many individuals who seem to be unhappy. It is a firm ground of psychologists and researchers that people from all walks of life can be utterly happy. It lies on your hands, so to speak. Whoever you are, whatever your social and economic statuses are, you deserve to be happy-only if you know how to work for it and get it!

They say that happiness is yours to take. So how should you take hold of it? What will bring you to the world of happiness? Is life liberty a key to the success in the pursuit of happiness? Here are a few significant thoughts to live by as you journey through life liberty and the pursuit of happiness:

Don’t ever control the circumstances in your life. You’ve got no control over your destiny though many would claim that you design your own destiny. Living in a carefully planned way of life tends to lead you to more misery. What if things go out of hand? You only end up in frustration. This is because you have already created a firm mindset. But the thing is-you cannot control the occurrences in your life. If they are meant to happen, then they surely will no matter how you try to impede them.

It holds true for your incapacity to control the thoughts of other people as well as the weather. What you need to know to control is none other than your own self. Furthermore, understand your own capacities, strengths, and weaknesses. Why not focus on how you can develop your own attributes? With this step, you are going towards the rightful path to gain happiness.

Decide on what you really want for your life. Having designed a goal that you want to achieve, it is now the time to focus on it. After which, pour out all your dedications to that passion of yours. This will certainly make your pursuit of happiness a remarkable one.

Live life and create a legacy. Learn to touch other people’s lives. You cannot live for yourself alone. Do not waste time by simply getting too consumed on your own self. Your life can have a better meaning if you learn to consider other people. Creating a difference in their lives is truly a legacy for you.

Ensure that your finances are settled. It pays off to be financially secured. There is a lesser worry for you if you know that you have enough funds for your provisions and desires.

Have a good set of friends. It is a must that you maintain good relationship with people who are capable of inspiring you and of leading you to the path of happiness. These friends need not be intellectuals nor wealthy. As long as you get along well with them and that they help you out in your life liberty and pursuit of happiness, you are sure to be successful in your quest.

Life is a matter of choice. In order for life liberty and pursuit of happiness to become fruitful, you should learn how to deal with it. It is yours to take!

Japanese Symbol of Happiness: When You are Happy and You Know it

icamm — Sun, 28 Sep 2008 09:45:03 +0000

The old tradition of having symbols represent each aspect of life is not anymore uncommon. Over the years, people have adapted Chinese or Japanese symbols of happiness and have associated them with their lifestyle.

It is very common to see houses with trinkets everywhere. They do not mean anything to you unless you know on what these things are really for. You might even dismiss them as simple decorations.

Symbols are a part of life. For every civilization or culture, there are always some things that they treat as important and valuable symbols. Symbols are a way of life in itself. It can comprise a whole book or a whole generation and still come out well known and sought for.

For the Japanese people, symbols of happiness can vary depending on the way of life that each individual wants to achieve. For example, fans in Japan do not only serve to cool off the heat of the day.

Fans are considered a symbol of happiness. This can be seen from the way these fans look like. When it is fully opened, it exposes a wide space. Wide spaces are associated with unending happiness.

It is no wonder why a lot of Japanese bride tend to carry with them fans during the wedding ceremony. It is a sign that they themselves want to achieve happiness in the stage that they are entering. If fans were given as token from another person, then it serves as a wish for the bride to find true happiness in the arms of the man that she will spend her life with.

According to studies, the symbolism behind each item is not necessarily what drives positive forces in and negative forces out. Experts say that it is the thinking and belief that comes with them that gives off fortunate vibrations to a person or inside the home.

Think of it this way. When you are in the best of your spirit and are thinking positively, you will notice that good things are happening to you. In contrast, when you feel negative feelings, the worse can turn to worst in an instant.

It is during those miserable times that those symbols work best. Looking at the symbols will instantly make you feel a lot better. Believe it or not, these symbols are meant to send out positive vibrations to lift the spirits of those who are hopeless.

In the modern world of today, people can do more of these symbolisms in homes and offices. Imagine you having a bad day. Then you saw the image of the laughing Buddha on top of your table. The joyous face and his protruding belly is enough to put a smile on your face. From there, the rest of the day would not seem bad at all.

Another example is the lotus. Try to have these blossoms or real-life picture of them around to look at when you want a change in your usual scenario. They symbolize peace and happiness. These are the feelings that will be evoked in you just by looking at them during one of your idle times.

The positive outlook and anticipation is what makes Japanese symbols of happiness tick all over the world. It is not only about its origins or the cultural connotation that entices people, it is more on the feelings and good vibrations that each of them can bring.

Genuine Happiness Comes from Within

icamm — Wed, 24 Sep 2008 08:45:03 +0000

Life isn’t the sweetest candy. Sometimes, when I feel like the world is just too heavy, I look around and find people who continued to live fascinating and wonderful lives. And then thoughts come popping into my mind like bubbles from nowhere – “How did their life become so adorably sweet? How come they still can manage to laugh and play around despite a busy stressful life?” Then I pause and observed for awhile… I figured out that maybe, they start to work on a place called ‘self’.

So, how does one become genuinely happy? Step 1 is to love yourself.

My theology professor once said that “loving means accepting.” To love oneself means to accept that you are not a perfect being, but behind the imperfections must lie a great ounce of courage to be able to discover ways on how to improve your repertoire to recover from our mistakes.

Genuine happiness also pertains to contentment. When you are contented with the job you have, the way you look, with your family, your friends, the place you live in, your car, and all the things you now have – truly, you know the answer to the question “how to be genuinely happy.”

When we discover a small start somewhere from within, that small start will eventually lead to something else, and to something else. But if you keep questioning life lit it has never done you any good, you will never be able to find genuine happiness.

I believe that life is about finding out about right and wrong, trying and failing, wining and losing. These are things that happen as often as you inhale and exhale. Failure, in a person’s life has become as abundant and necessary as air. But this should not hinder us from becoming happy.

How to be genuinely happy in spite all these? I tell you… every time you exert effort to improve the quality of life and your being, whether it is cleaning up your room, helping a friend, taking care of your sick dog, fail on board exams and trying again, life gives you equivalent points for that.

Imagine life as a big score board like those which are used in the NFLs. Every time you take a step forward, you make scoring points. Wouldn’t it be nice to look at that board at the end of each game and think to yourself “Whew! I got a point today. I’m glad I gave it a shot.”, instead of looking at it all blank and murmur “Geez, I didn’t even hit a score today. I wish I had the guts to try out. We could have won!” and then walk away.

Genuine happiness isn’t about driving the hottest Formula 1 car, nor getting the employee of the year award, earning the highest 13th month pay, or beating the sales quota. Sometimes, the most sought after prizes in life doesn’t always go to the fastest, the strongest, the bravest or not even the best. So, how do you become genuinely happy? Every one has his own definition of ‘happiness’. Happiness for a writer may mean launching as much best selling books as possible. Happiness for a basketball rookie may mean getting the rookie of the year award. Happiness for a beggar may mean a lot of money. Happiness for a business man may mean success. So, really now, how do we become genuinely happy? Simple. You don’t have to have the best things in this world. Its about doing and making the best out of every single thing. When you find yourself smiling at your own mistake and telling your self “Oh, I’ll do better next time”, you carry with you a flame of strong will power to persevere that may spread out like a brush fire. You possess a willingness to stand up again and try – that will make you a genuinely happy person.

When you learn to accept yourself and your own faults. You pass step 1 in the project “how to become genuinely happy”.For as long as you know how to accept others, you will also be accepted. For as long as you love and know how to love, you will receive love ten folds back.

Again, throw me that same question “how to become genuinely happy?”. I’ll refer you to a friend of mine who strongly quoted- “Most of us know that laughter is the best medicine to life’s aches and pain. But most of us don’t know that the best kind of laughter is laughter over self. Coz then you don’t just become happy… you become free.”

The Game of the Farmers- Harvest Moon: Poem of Happiness

icamm — Sun, 31 Aug 2008 18:15:13 +0000

Farming has become sophisticated nowadays, so sophisticated that it already appears in video games.

Who would have thought about the feasibility of setting up a video game that would see through the growth of a farm boy or girl and his or her farmland? It may have seemed a queer idea initially yet it worked.

An original creation from the developer and publisher Marvelous Interactive, Harvest Moon: Poem of Happiness is a game that takes you to a whole new perspective of farming.

Primarily a farming simulation, Harvest Moon: Poem of Happiness is also an adventure game that lets you choose your own methods of farm growth.

The first juncture of the game allows you to choose your gender- that is a boy or a girl. This very character will start a life in a village and will set up his own farming community with the main goal of becoming an adult farm manager. As you begin the tending of your farm, you will also be able to observe your own character turn into adulthood.

Like with the actual farming community setting, your character will also get to experience living with daily catching of fish, planting and harvesting of plants and crops, tending of farm animals, building up your own farm and a lot more other activities associated with agriculture.

Harvest Moon: Poem of Happiness also features horses, cows, sheep and other animals that you really must be watchful and careful of. You need to set up grazing areas and ensure security in them. Lack of it would endanger your animals to loss or of being attacked by the wild dogs wandering within your farming area. This game also features your flexibility to plant even outside your farming area.

Complete with social interaction, your character will earn points or hearts depending on how much heart town folks can give you. This will be achieved through interaction. Depending on your choice of character, you will also have to choose your love interest.

Harvest Moon: Poem of Happiness is further made interesting by putting up a lifetime rival which you will create the tension and competition in the farm area. This rival will remain the same for both choice of character. And because he has to prove that he is better than your character, he will try to out play you with your farm growth and management, living and even in dating with the same girl.

On the onset, this game may not be appealing, but when adventure begins, you are sure to hold your grip and cease not in making both your farmland and character advance to higher levels.

To obtain more hearts and to make your growth faster, we have prepared some cheats here for you,enjoy!

To obtain three hearts, try to bring Martha wool and make her your friend.

To obtain a Free Copper Fishing Rod, walk at the Lake. You will then see a scene with Ray who will give you a Professional Fisherman’s 125 which is nothing short of the Copper Fishing Rod.

To increase the odd of you getting the best product from your sheep or cow, try saving the game before shearing the sheep or milking the cow. In case you did not get the random high heart level, you can always reload your game and take your chance.

There is a Certain Way Towards Happiness!

icamm — Sun, 03 Aug 2008 06:15:03 +0000

Literally defined, happiness is perceived to be nothing but an emotional condition of feeling good or pleased with anything. Among the other state of beings which are often associated with the feeling of happiness are joy, delight, sexual pleasure, safety, love, delight, and contentment. There are innumerable things which may lead a person to attain happiness such as the smooth flow of personal relationships, a new promotion, a good marriage, winning in the lottery, an anticipated trip, and many others. It is vital for every individual to experience happiness rather than those of hatred, sorrow, displeasure, suffering, and pain.

Psychologists have recently rendered their formula for attaining happiness. Yes, they say that there is a formula which can be followed so that you may achieve happiness. It is clearly and simply stated as pleasure added up with engagement and then meaning which in turn results to happiness. So what rationale is behind this formula for getting and experiencing happiness? What can you do to feel genuine happiness?

They say that it is very difficult to stay happy. Of course this is a fact because life offers so many problems to deal with everyday. But then you should note that problems can never be rid of. You need not become a psychologist yourself in order to fully apply the formula of happiness into your own life. So what must you do? Read on to gain very significant insights that will let your strive for happiness a really worthy battle.

The craving for pleasure comes as a natural thing for every person. These pleasures vary from the simplest to the most complex. You can find pleasure from seeing the beautiful sunrise that promises a good day, a lunch date, simple jokes, laughter, and many others. Among the larger scales of happiness can be found in love and success that you may experience. Engagement is another factor that drives you towards happiness. If you are doing what your mind and heart desires for, then you can surely find contentment and happiness. For sure you will not be happy when you are just forced to deal with something which you really do not have your entire interest on. These elements then lead to the meaning in your life. There is nothing more important than having a sense of belongingness and feeling that your existence matters to other individuals. Feeling that you are valued and that your worth is recognized by people certainly makes your life more meaningful and far from being dreaded.

Genuine happiness can only be felt when you know how to value your existence and you know how to realize and give due importance to the worth of other people. Happiness is not being self-centered. Happiness is obviously not a thing of being perfect in the eyes of many. Psychologists claim that the reason behind why people tend to find difficulty in attaining happiness is because of being overly focused on what he or she should be simply because it is what the people and the society expects of him or her. Happiness, in its real sense, is a thing of loving and impressing yourself and not other individuals. If you have balance in your life and if you are at peace with yourself, then happiness will certainly find its way into your nerves.

Happiness, That Golden Nugget We All Seek

icamm — Tue, 15 Jul 2008 21:20:30 +0000

Every married couple I have ever known has spoken those words: “I just wanted to be happy, or I just wanted to make him/her happy.” We all want to be happy or to make someone else happy. Seldom, will you hear someone say, “I just wanted to be unhappy.” Happiness is the single most common motivating factor in why people seek to improve themselves, their situations, their relationships or their health. People believe they will be happier if only,,.

They were thinner

They were prettier

They had more money

They were smarter

They were married

Is there a secret to being happy? Can things or events make us truly happy? Happiness is a state of being, a place where a person feels truly content, safe, and at peace with who they are and where they are. True happiness is how we feel inside ourselves when we look at what we are doing in life. We all have desires that motivate us. For me, my deepest desire was to be a mom. I dreamed of being a mom ever since I can remember. Today, I can, honestly say that nothing makes me happier than being with my kids,.not money, not possessions, just my kids. We all have one or more really passionate things that we desire to have in our life. For some, it may be possessions, but for most what really makes them happy will be a person, or an achievement, or a place. It’s not the money that makes us happy, it’s what we can do with the money. It’s not the house or the mansion that makes us happy, it how we feel when we are inside the walls of our home.

For most of us, finding true happiness is about being content with who we are and with what we do with our lives. Being truly happy is all about making the improvements in life that will bring about a quality of life to us, to our loved ones, to neighbors and friends whom we care about, that will bring contentment. That is why we strive to make improvements in our selves, in our finances, in our bodies, our health, and our relationships. We make the improvements because we want to be happy with our selves, with our finances, with our bodies, our health, and our relationships. That is our golden nugget, when we achieve the improvements that allow us to realize the full potential of our selves, our full potential of our finances, our optimum body physically and in health, and when our relationships are meaningful and bring us contentment.

When we look for love in relationships that is what we are searching for. We want to feel happiness when we are with our partner. We want to feel a real contentment about sharing our life with that person. True happiness is about being in love with, and being happy with, who we are and accepting who we are. If there is something you are not happy about, having the ability to understand why you need to make the improvement and to accept any failures that come your way, as part of life and to be content with any self-improvements you do make. Happiness is recognizing when you already have that golden nugget in the palm of your hand.

Catch that Elusive Warm Happiness Feeling!

icamm — Mon, 30 Jun 2008 11:15:32 +0000

If it would rain every time a person complains about not feeling an ounce of warm happiness, then the earth would probably be floating in tears by now.

Why? Because people, from all walks of life, are not as happy as they seem to be. It seems that happiness is a very elusive thing. This is ironic considering our time presents many things that do not exist before. Makes one wonder what could really bring true happiness.

Do not freak out yet. There are certain factors that can help you achieve the happiness that you truly deserve. Maybe these are the things you have been searching for so long. Here they are,

1. Be contented.

Learning how to appreciate what you have can help you feel contented. The common mistake that you can make is to be envious of those that have more than what you have. There is always that need to have more than what is necessary.

To feel true happiness, you need to accept your life and what it is offering you. Contrary to what you think, simple things can bring you happiness. You need to value these things and be thankful that you have them.

Try to consider those who have less. You are not the only one experiencing problems in life. There are others who are less unfortunate than you. Keep these thoughts in mind and you will be contented with your life. By that time, you will find that happiness that you are looking for.

2. Happiness shared is happiness felt.

Give happiness to others and you will realize that it will come back to you doubled. Ever had that warm and fuzzy feeling inside yourself when you know that you made someone happy? Try to have more of those.

When you feel lonely all you have to do is think happy thoughts and share them with those around you. You will notice that the heavy feeling inside you is minimized. In time, it will even be eliminated.

Do not succumb to the burdens of everyday problems. They will just pull you lower and lower. Be with people who you feel you will be happy with.

3. Delve more on your achievements instead of your mistakes.

Being human, you are susceptible to mistakes that you cannot control. When this happens, pass it off as a lesson learned. Expect these things to happen. They will help you be stronger.

Move on from your mistakes. Do not get stuck. Instead, think of what you have achieved. If you think of it in numbers, you probably have done more good than bad.

4. Learn to forgive.

Grudges do not have a place in your life. It also serves to stunt your growth towards true happiness. Forgive those who wronged you and forget past disputes.

If you want to move on, forget the negative things in the past. For you to become a better and happy person, throw away all your bitterness.

5. Cherish life.

When was the last time you gave thanks to life when you woke up in the morning? Have you ever felt happy knowing that you are still alive and enjoying the joy of living?

These things are enough to make you feel warmth and happiness. Take a look at yourself and your life. What is missing in you?

Chinese Foods as Symbols for Happiness

icamm — Fri, 06 Jun 2008 21:15:06 +0000

The Chinese culture and tradition are indeed very rich. History tells us that the Chinese culture has its roots to the oldest as well as to the most complex civilization known to humankind. Through all of the Chinese practice during the New Year, there are innumerable things that the Chinese people utilize in order to ensure luck and happiness for the year ahead. In relation to the celebration of the Spring Festival, there are nonetheless the foods which are known to be happiness symbols.

We all know that the New Year is a celebration for all of the clan to get together. For the Chinese, the event likewise ushers health, prosperity, and happiness to every family member. Of course the food to be prepared must go along with the goal or purpose that the family is geared towards. Here is a list of the must-have food during the New Year celebration that stand as happiness symbols:

The hot pot. The steaming hot pot or which is rather known as the Chinese fondue stuffed with seafood, meat, and vegetable is said to be a must. The hot pot ushers booming and prosperity.

The fish. Particularly the fish yu is a famous dish to be served during the Chinese New Year celebration. The fish is meant to stand for abundance or surplus. Usually, the fish is served as steamed during the eve of the Chinese New Year for the reunion dinner. Another belief that goes along with the serving of the fish is that the head, the bones, and the tail must be left all intact.

The shrimp. The shrimp stands for a good well being and happiness for the start of the year.

The boiled dumplings. Shaped like those gold ingots, the boiled dumplings have been a part of the Chinese New Year celebration. The dumplings mean the hour when the New Year is in transition. In the northern part of China, the dumplings are packed with meat and are eaten in order to bring in wealth and good luck for the year to come. At times, there is a coin that is being placed in any of the dumplings and it is believed that the person who will bite into it will experience wealth in the new year ahead. Also, the yellow noodles and the dumplings when cooked as one get to stand for the “golden threads through gold ingots”. In Hangzhou, Shanghai, and Suzhou, the egg dumplings are served and eaten for they look exactly like the gold ingots.

The oyster. Oyster means good things. As a practice in the southern part of China, the oysters are served together with the thin rice noodles.

The green vegetables. The green vegetables are believed to strengthen the close family ties since they mean intimate or close.

The sticky rice cake. The steamed cake which is made up of rice flour and then topped with the red dates signifies the attainment of more prosperity and then rank for the new year.

The noodles. Noodles are always associated with long life.

Isn’t it that the Chinese way of life is centered on good fortune? Although not all of us are Chinese by blood or belief, there is nothing wrong if we do follow the practice of serving these foods as happiness symbols for the New Year. Happiness cannot be totally credited to destiny. It is a matter of finding effective ways to achieve it. But then you must not depend your happiness on these foods. They are just but enhancements.

How Can Lyrics of Happiness Affect You?

icamm — Sun, 25 May 2008 12:15:03 +0000

How many times have we seen happiness depicted in literature, in songs, in life? We seem to have become so immersed with happiness that it is far from imaginable how men incapable of feeling it exist.

A wise man once said that happiness is the ultimate goal of our being human. It is our nature to look for happiness because it is exactly the thing we need to be more appreciative of. Once we cease to feel its presence, we begin to set back and live life within a melancholic tone. Thus, we become numb of existing. We then begin to find that life is simply a long wait for death to arrive.

Poets, lyricists, songwriters, novelists and all people who have skills in putting into words their ideas have recognized both happiness and the lack of it. Or maybe, it is just their innate drive to put into ink their thoughts of happiness that we, their audience, benefit from.

The Creator is so good that He even bothered to provide us with people who would always remind us of happiness’ worth. He constantly creates talents and hands that will produce arts and songs that would make us realize that the gift of happiness is always knocking at our windows and doors, there is no sense in discarding it.

Sadly, we have the tendency of not recognizing things worth of recognition. We therefore continue to take loneliness in happiness’ place.

He has created everything just to make us realize that there exists a concept of happiness. Unless we remain to tune not into its frequency, happiness will continue to be a distant hope.

Song lyrics of happiness, among all others that were created to remind us of happiness’ real virtue, have always produced pleasant thoughts in the mind.

It is undeniable that the lyrics of the songs affect us in so many ways possible. Say if the mood of the lyrics tells of a lost love, we seem to transfer back into time and warp with memories that our love has brought us. If for example the lyrics of the song remind us of people we have become so associated with, for the moment we are taken to old forgotten memories when we were young and when friends are many. If the lyrics of the song talk about the serenity of having been able to communicate with our inner self and world beyond this realm, we feel the longing to break free from our present states. Lyrics of happiness create these same sensations.

Like love, songs of happiness have various facets. They may be implied and may even be described explicitly. Whatever the manner of projection the lyrics create, the songs take us to feelings of gladness, of joy and of pleasure. The theme of the lyrics sets the mood, and that is a fact.

Central to the lyrics of happiness songs is to be able to communicate the pleasant feeling the writer has. The difference occurs in the delivery and combination of words that are used. It is important to keep in mind that the songs are the reflections of one’s own expressions. These are the products of the mind that happened to have gone in the leisure state of happiness.

Songs of happiness lighten the heart as much as crying washes the soul.