Simplicity And The Pursuit of Happiness

A young man is lazily lying on the beach, his fishing rod propped on the sand, lounging in the warmth of the afternoon sun and enjoying the crisp salty sea breeze while dreaming of a prospect of a hearty catch of fish.
Along came an elder businessman, who happen to pass by the beach to relieve himself of the days stress and found the young man enjoying himself lazily.
He approached the young man to find out why he is wasting his time there instead of working hard for a living.
"You cannot catch a fish that way! You should be working very hard for a living than just lying there young man!"
The young man just looked up the older man and smiling, "Then what would my reward be?"
"Well, you can get bigger nets and then you can catch more fish." The old man said.
"And what will my reward be?"
Starting to get irritated, the old man answered, "You can earn a lot of money to buy a boat so you can catch more fish!"
"My reward would then be what?"
The old man is starting to feel his blood coming up to his face, "So you can buy bigger boats and hire people to wok for you in catching more fish then!"
The young man, still smiling answered, "So therefore my reward would be?"
Angrily, the old man said, "Don't you understand you can be so rich that you don't have to work anymore, you will have a fleet of boats and lots of people working for you, then you can have all the time in the world to lie on the beach and enjoy yourself."
And the young man happily replied, "What do you think I am doing now?"

A life of simplicity can be beautiful, and it calls to those who are willing to listen. An invitation to live our life we are meant to live, not the life maybe our next door neighbor is trying hard to achieve.To simplify our life is to pursue the things we value the most, not the worth of the giant billboards, glossy magazines and enticing TV advertisements. It beckons us to remove distractions the keeps us from living and enjoying our life to the fullest.
Because the moment we stop living our lives pursuing the world's definition of happiness, we start to be aware of the choice to feel happiness that has been right in front of us all along.

How To Be Perpetually Unhappy

Deviating from what's going on around me here, well, nothing that worthy anyway, for now. I would like to try to help myself and others by simply sharing some inspirational thoughts and words which are based from what I read and learned from others. You may have noticed that I have already started with some of my posts lately, and here is one I hope you find worthy of reading.
We are all in search for happiness, and for those who have found theirs, well, my envy and my congratulations goes out to you, but for us still searching for it, I think we have to search inwards more than outwards. But there are those who no matter what they do they simply cannot elevate themselves to being light-hearted at least and be happy.
There are ways to be unhappy, maybe we are already doing it and that is why that quest for happiness seemed to elude us. Let me elaborate more on how to be perpetually unhappy.
To be successfully unhappy we should constantly live in the past. Unhappy people are stuck in the past, going over and over at every situation and wishing they could have done it differently. Fortunately for us the past cannot be changed nor can the outcome, so we will always have something to live upon.
The IF ONLYs.  Many people live in “if only” world. If only I had money in millions, if only I was born somewhere else, if only this and if only that. This is similar to living in the past, but this time it’s the fictitious past as it didn’t even happen.
Most probably too we value things not people. Some unhappy people take pleasure in owning big, flashy, shiny things. Some get their sense of importance based on what they have. If you know anyone like this then you probably also know that many of their relationships with actual people are far from healthy or ideal.
Like me, sometimes I focus on my weaknesses. To be truly unhappy simply talk yourself out of ever trying anything or taking a chance because it’s “not one of your strengths”. This is a great way to remain in our misery and never expose ourselves to new opportunities or experiences.
Do you worry about everything? Some people are quite often "happy" playing the “what if game”. It is guaranteed these people aren’t too happy about it (I know I’ve been there). What if this happens? And what if that happens? This causes great stress especially when all we can see is the worst possible outcomes.
And lastly, maybe we are never contented because there’s always something better out there. If we never want to find happiness then stay with the “grass is greener over there” way of thinking.
So there, most of the time I am guilty of some of these, but changing one's perspective and way of thinking  will always be the cure, instead of sulking and living out unhappiness, let's try to change things from now on and maybe happiness is not that far away.

This Too Shall Pass

Once upon a time, there was a King who called upon all of his wise men and asked them a very important question, “Is there a mantra or suggestion which works in every situation, in every circumstance, in every place and in every time? In every joy, every sorrow, every defeat and every victory? One answer for all questions? Tell me, is there such a mantra?”

All the wise men were puzzled by the king’s questionm, however they thought and thought still. After a lengthy discussion and a couple of days, an old man, one of the wisemen, suggested something which appealed to all of them. Then they returned to the King and handed the king a paper with four words written on it. These four words would ground the King in his triumphs and lift the King during his darkest hours.
The four words were: This too shall pass.
As the king read the words, he became enlightened.
Life surely comes with a lot of high and low times. Good health, new relationships, being promoted, materials things, a salary increase, a new baby, a new friend and so on were some of the high times. Whilst, losing a job, gaining an enemy, losing a friend, getting sick, financial difficulties, losses and even death comprises the low times. Surprisingly most people find it hard to let go a little of each in the course of their daily living.
We often go through a roller coaster ride through life and our levels of happiness are directly proportional to the situation at the moment, including our moods. We usually celebrate the high times and sulk on the low times. In this way of acting it out, I am assuming that the end result is to experience more of the high times than the low times.
I would like to take a different look at it, I will see it not as the better or the worst but just different. In that way it would be more fulfilling and, what's the word, empowering.
I must realize that the high and low times are all part of our existence, and these experiences are infinitely inspiring and right. Regardless where I am at my roller coaster ride, the lessons to be learned and the lives to be touched are all worth the spin.
And the secret must be to not let my feelings, emotions or degrees of happiness be defined by the issues and situation at the moment for these all will pass. I must know that the true power comes from inside of me, it does not matter what are the situations surrounding me. I must level my happiness on the permanent rather than the superficial, that the motions of my moods are insignificant and the level of my happiness is quite up there.
When life hits hard, I will just tell myself that this too shall pass. On the other hand, when I get lucky, I will also remind myself that this too shall hit the road.

The 5 Essentials Of Happiness

It has been written before, told and spoken the things we need to do just to be happy. We all know that most the things that makes us happy are not tangible, and the best in life cannot be bought, but rather free.
But somehow the reasons that made some people happy nowadays, or so they thought are more or less seen displayed at their favorite stores. Most people think that happiness is a state of mind brought about by things or circumstances that are outside their well-being. Still, there are those who find the simplest joys in everything that surrounds them 'cause in reality, true happiness comes from within. We cannot feel happiness outside ourselves until we are happy on the inside, bottom line, it is a decision we have to make. I came across this article about a so-called 5 essentials of happiness, and as follows:

• We must be true to what we say. It is said that being truthful in what we say to others is one major factor in having a happy and healthy disposition, and what is even more important is what we say about ourselves. Lack of self-encouragement hasa huge negative effect on who we are, what we stand for and the amount of happiness that surrounds us. Take this, is it really true that we are not smart enough or we just need to learn a new skill? See the difference, and we can change this self-talk to a positive, loving and happy way.
• Whatever happens let us not take offense. It is said that "which offends you only weakens you" and if we are always looking for situations to be offended, chances are we'll find them at every corner. Like it is our own choice to get offended when our opinions and decisions are different than ours. We are not offended not there was any intention, we choose to be. The essential thing is to take no offense with the actions of others, simply let it go, good or bad.
• Never expect anything. One way to bring unhappiness is to live with expectations. Whenever we expect something and it was not the way we wanted it to be, we get disappointed, we let our happiness ride on the result of what it supposed to bring. We have no control over the outcome of every event and action that happen around us, but when we expect nothing and just accept whatever it was, happiness comes because we are not let down.
• Serving others. Mother Theresa sets the example and says "It is not how much we give, but how much love we put into giving."  Sharing and giving opens the heart and lets happiness come in freely. To serve others without, yes, expectations of any returns.
• In everything we do, we must always do our best. We always have to put our best foot forward, it feels good doing our utmost just to finish something, or reach our goals. There may be hards days at times but we must not falter at the slightest difficulty.

My good friend Benjie introduced me to Og Mandino, that great motivational speaker and author sums up the essential to happiness "Realize that true happiness lies within you. Waste no time and effort searching for peace, contentment and joy in the world outside. Remember that there is no happiness in having, or in getting, but only in giving. Reach out. Share. Smile. Hug. Happiness is a perfume you cannot pour on others without getting a few drops on yourself."

Birthday Joy

What came to pass, my birthday last 7th, it was just another ordinary day, or so I thought, especially here in Saudi Arabia, but nonetheless I tried to make it a little bit special of course by wearing red shirt, my Chinese heritage had me wear it, supposed to bring good luck and a happy day.

Early that day, much, much, earlier, just after midnight, a surprise call came in from a guy I know for quite sometime. He was someone, let's just say, I KNOW, he would come and see me every now and then, eat together, watch TV, had "fun" with each other. But I never thought he would be that thoughtful to call and greet me, I don't even remember we talked about it, and there he was greeting me and asked me if he could come that same night, and who am I to say no to that? He was ecstatic and happy over the phone.

After an hour he came and to my excitement and surprise he had with him a bouquet of red roses, fragrant and real pretty. He was beaming and gave me a kiss on my lips and a warm hug. He just made my day and stayed for a couple of hours, and me, smiling all night, which I cannot help and he was so sweet and tender that I didn't mind that I had only a couple of hours to sleep before going to work.

After he left, before I fall off to sleep, I was thinking that sometimes there are things we take for granted and yet these are the very things that would make us happy. It's not really the gift of material things, but the feelings of joy deep inside us. That call from someone I just know brought out a joy in the midst of restlessness, loneliness and non-direction. It did made a lot of difference in my line of thought. It made me stop for a while and re-think about my life, again, and to remind me to continue to find the meaning and purpose of my life.

The day went by just fine, work was the same, some officemates greeted me, and another surprise that night happened, my dear friend Ivy and Benjie had prepared a simple dinner get-together for me. Here, again, a reminder that simple things bring the greatest joy. We ate and shared thoughts and had a very nice dinner.

So my special day started and ended just as I hope it would be, simply to have a happy birthday and it was indeed.

The 7 Spiritual Laws of Success

As influenced by my favorite couple Ivy and Benjie, reading inspirational and self-help books has slowly and surely influence my day to day living. It started a great change in me that every morning upon waking up I automatically set my mind and body to the vibration of the universe, say what?. Simply say Thank You, it is a powerful morning mantra that sets up a unique experience throughout the day.

I am not trying become another Gandhi, (but not a bad inspiration) I am just into trying to be a better person. Life is not that really bad despite its ups and downs. It's just a matter of perspective.

I never forget to thank the Universe for the day , regardless of what the outcome will be, I've learn how to control my feelings and emotions, to be aware of the synchronocity and connection to everything around me, be it another human being, an animal even the inanimate objects and the reasons behind each encounter I have with them.

Another book I just read and truly am thankful that I came across was Deepak Chopra's The 7 Laws of Spiritual Success. In his book he tackles the issue of people having hard times livings when we are not suppose to. There is a simplier way of living if we only allow ourselves to act on our potential to be great in whatever we do, and to realize that the power is within us to change our lives, achieve the happiness that we thought had been eluding us and the freedom to be just ourselves.

We are creative beings, and the universe is ours to command, but we don't know how for thousands of reasons, but to simplify it, we are so distracted by the secular world that we forgot about the basics.

Our ancestors sometimes amazes us with their knowledge of the world, they are far more advanced compared to us today in terms of understanding the way of the universe. Why? Because there are no distractons to occupy their daily existence and their lives were much, much simplier.

Each Law represents a part of that is naturally occuring around us. Each act, when imbibed is easy and worth trying. No Law in the book is impossible nor hard to understand. I am trying to practice one Law a day until I get the hang of it and surely something better will come up of it.

Summarizing, the first law is about awareness, if we are aware of the potential of everything, and not to create rift between what is now and what we want to be a now, simpl not judging anythng that occurs and just let it be as it is, we are open to to potentiality. The second law is the about giving, to freely give from the heart that is the true essence of this law. Everyday, we must give anything we can to the universe, to a person to something. Taking are of the environment is one way of giving bac kto the world, a simple compliment or a greeting is giving back to another, a gift can be tangible or non tangible and it does not matter. Third law as everybody is aware of this is the Law of Karma, the cause and effect, whatever we do, we get it back and that is given already. Do good, then good things will happen, do the opposite and you'll get it's effect.

To be defenseless, or try not convince others to your point of view, to let the moment as it is, to keep within yourself that "ego trip" to win an issue for the sake of lifting your self-worth, is what hte fourth law is all about.Remaining open to all kinds of views and not to struggle with the moment. Have you wanted something so bad that if you put your mind to it, eventually you'll have it? Intention and Desire is the fifth law.

The sixth leads to becoming free from attachment, we should not be running after things that are not really that worth going for. Most of the times we simply get too hung up on things, moment, a feeling, a memory that it stagnates our growth spiritually. Remember that these things are all passing, but our lives goes on.

Ever wanted to know your purpose in life? Try these, know your talent, and share it with others, what are you so passionate about that not only creates inner joy to you and to anyone around you? Ask yourself always, "How can I serve?" instead of "What's in it for me?" and you're on way to a blessed life, that's the seventh Law.

Happiness Is...

"It's not the things that you buy and wear or the places you go that makes you happy, people makes you happy. Yes, clothes may make a man, but character makes you human."

Happiness

I find today the many facets of being happy, it is not having all the material things in the world, it is not how well you are travelled, how good looking you are and you have lots of friends; it is not how much you have or how popular you become, no none of these I tell you.

Happiness is making someone happy. Seeing or hearing them happy is contagious, you feel the same way too. It is ironic to be sad when someone is happy, weird even!

Happiness also comes from the simplest things, like the fresh morning air, bathed in warm sunlight, the singing of the birds or the sound of a stream.

Happiness is being healthy and alive.

Happiness is having great friends, laughing together, crying together, who were always there whether you need them or not.

Happiness is knowing that you are loved and cared. When you know you are mentioned in their prayers, or when you are remembered.

Happiness is a gift, we all received, but too few have noticed. It was delivered to us from the moment we knew how to choose to live our lives, and most often we chose to look the other way.

Happiness is free, anyone can take it, but be careful cause someone might steal it, and yet, true happiness is indelible.

Happiness, I am happy today, a little extra happy.
I can sleep better tonight.