Tips From A Personal Coach
A close friend said' "If I could only figure this out, Ithink I could find happiness." I have heard this before andwill hear it again I am sure.
Many people want to believe that finding happiness is allabout finding something else they want. Not many have everfound long term happiness by achieving another goal. Theanswer to finding happiness is to look within.
In other words, happiness is completely an inside job.
The most important piece to finding happiness is to comprehendhappiness is a choice and not the result of an experience.
If all happiness could be found as the result of anacquisition, meeting a goal, or having anything, then aperson's happiness would always be subject to somethingelse.
Remember this: one definition of happiness is simply theabsence of an opposite emotion whether it is pain, sadnessor something else. If the opposite emotions are neverexperienced then happiness can never be experienced either.
Think about it like this: bad times allow you to appreciategood times; hunger allows you to appreciate food; andsadness allows you to appreciate and experience happiness.
The dictionary defines happiness as enjoying, showing, ormarked by pleasure, satisfaction or joy.
How often do you hear... "I'll be happy when"? When I getthat job, I'll be happy. I'll be happy when I find a lifepartner. I'd be happy if I had more money.
These, and all the other "if I had", scenarios arefollowing the same reasoning; that happiness is based onexternal circumstances.
If you base your happiness on external circumstances, youwill continuously fail to find happiness. There willalways, always be another external circumstance. There willalways be another dollar, another job, another house, oranother partner. Better, more, else.
To break this vicious cycle, we must find our happinesssomewhere else. That somewhere else is within. We have beengiven everything we need to be happy.
Allow yourself to choose happiness.
If life was perfect would you be happy? Life is perfect because we create itwith our choices. Since we can create life, we can createhappiness - and how much better can it get?
When we can accept that life is perfect as it is and thatour lives are the sum total of everything that has happenedto this instant, only then can we accept the joy andhappiness we deserve.
I realize that this concept is very difficult for some toaccept. However, the alternative to being happy now is tospend the rest of our lives seeking happiness as ifhappiness was an item to be bought or found.
It's not. Just remember the saying - Don't worry - behappy!
Copyright © 2007 Miami Phillips
Miami Phillips has been coaching and consulting individuals and small business executives since 1999. Visit his blog: http://www.miamiphillips.com