pursuit of happiness

On Being Joy in a World that is Filled with Bad Things that Happen.

Posted by Barbara Techel

IMG_2120I just got back from a mid-day walk with Miss G. I’ve been trying to get out for a walk during the day more as a break from being at my computer.

Often times I listen to Hay House Radio which I download right to my ipod. Today as I was listening to one of the hosts, she was talking about how she tries to only post joyful things on her Facebook page because we have enough negativity in the world.

Someone posted and said, “Enough with the happiness stuff! Don’t you know a journalist was just beheaded?”

She wasn’t sure how to respond to this, but didn’t get angry. She thought about it and wondered how yes, there is plenty of bad in the world, but how do we balance that out without being insensitive to what our world is really like. But at the same time choosing to spread more joy?

I loved her guests response in that we do have to find balance. While we can’t ignore the news, we first have to be strong within ourselves. Which reminded me of the quote I posted on my Facebook page today:

To put the world right in order, we must first put the nation in order; to put the nation in order, we must first put the family in order; to put the family in order, we must first cultivate our personal life; we must first set our hearts right. – Confucius

The guest more or less said the same thing. We have to begin with healing ourselves. He also once believed that we should never surround ourselves with negative people, though he has changed his tune about that. But first he said, we have to become stronger ourselves. When we do, we must be out in the world sharing that joy and happiness – that this is the way to more joy and happiness for our world. In essence when we do, we give others permission and encouragement to do the same thing.

He said, “Depressed and angry people will not change this world, but people who are healing themselves and are happier, will.”

He went on to say that those who do the work of healing themselves by default live with more joy. It is then that we begin to want to give that back to the world. Just imagine if all of us did that? What a powerful impact we could make!

It’s what I wish with my joyful paws blog and thoughts I share and post on Facebook, as well as, in my newsletters. I want to contribute to the positive of the world, even though I know and understand there is plenty of bad in the world. I don’t try and block  the ugly of the bad news out of my life, but I do keep it to a minimum as I’m very sensitive to it.

But I’ve also come to understand that I can make a difference, as can so many others, by sharing our joy even if it is only one small step or action at a time.

According to USA Today I am Not Living the American Dream.

Posted by Barbara Techel

gardenBlogger, Joshua Becker, shared his thoughts about an article published in USA Today recently about what the American Dream now costs. Ready for it? $130,000/year to attain. He went on to quote from the article that based on those figures only 1 in 8 families are actually living the dream.

As Joshua said, “Yours truly excluded.”  Well, count me in too, as it certainly does not include me. Far, far, far from it. You can read more here about how unfortunate Joshua finds this article.

If it weren’t for where I am in my spiritual and self development, this would have devastated me to read this. I would have felt like a failure. I would have questioned what I am doing wrong. I also can’t help but think what it takes to maintain that American Dream. What would I have to give up to make that happen?

But who defined this as the American Dream? Where did we lose our way? It wasn’t always this way. We have lost sight of what is truly important in many ways. Though I also see the light becoming brighter as more people seem to be becoming enlightened to a way of life that does not require such a huge price tag.

I especially like what Joshua said in that as Americans, free to pursue happiness, we get to decide how we define that happiness. Those that define it as the article states are free to do so, but those of us who define it with less material possessions should have that right too.

The other part of this that bothers me is what it is teaching our younger generation. That if they are not living the $130,000 American Dream they are viewed as not worthy? Whether they currently aren’t living “the dream” or will soon go out into the world on their own with this incredible pressure instead of exploring what it is that makes their hearts happy. How do we instill in them to not give into what society defines as “successful?”

I tried to attain the American Dream at one time in my life, and I was unhappy. Now I have a car that is 14 years old, I’ve been living in the same house for 27 years, and my wardrobe is mostly from second hand shops. I make different choices, that is all. I am not living the American Dream, yet I am happy. I guess it goes to show you that you can’t always believe everything you read. But you can pause and take note of what it is that truly makes your heart happy and follow its lead.