The Pursuit Of Happiness

Although life isn't very simple a easy, if I ever feel that I'm
the unluckiest person alive I look around at all the people in the
world and see that I'm the absolute opposite. For all the suffering
people who live on virtually nothing or those who have a disability
yet are able to live quite fulfilling lives and go around
without any self pity. So although you are a very lucky, healthy person
there are many steps to take to make you a much better happier person.

So, how does one become genuinely happy? What is Happiness? and how do we discover the pursuit of happiness? Mmm, some interesting questions!

Step 1 is to love yourself.

My theology professor once said that "loving means accepting." To
love yourself means to accept that you aren't the perfect human being, but
behind the imperfections must lie a large amount of courage to be
able to find out ways on how to improve your repertoire to recover
from our mistakes.

Genuine happiness also leads to contentment. When you are
content with your job have, how you look, happy with your
family, your friends, where you live, your car, and all the
things you now have - truly, you know the answer to the question
"how to be genuinely happy."


When we find a small start somewhere from within ourselves, that
start will eventually lead to something else, and then onto to something
else. However if you continue to question life like it has never done you
any good, you won't be able to find genuine happiness.

The thing is that life is all about making mistakes and rectifying them and
learning from them, finding what's wrong and right, trying out things
and failing but overcoming these failings. Failure is what a person's life
has become as abundant and necessary, but failure should never stop us from
becoming happy.

So, are you 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 tidying up your room, helping a friend,
taking care of your dog, failing 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
big sporting arenas. 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 doesn't mean driving the hottest sports car,
nor getting the employee of the year award, earning the highest
amount of money amongst your friends (although to some it is!) 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 is always different for each and every one of us. It could be a
writer launching a best selling book, a footballer getting the player
of the year award or for a businessman making a sale that makes a lot
of money for his company. But it doesn't have to be achieving the best in
whatever business you're in.

So, it all boils down to how do we find 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 everything you do. When you find yourself
smiling at your own mistake and telling your self "Oh, I'll do
better next time", that will subconciously create a strong will power
to persevere that may spread out like a brush fire. You have a
willingness to stand up again and try - that will make you a
genuinely happy person.

It's actually very easy to to accept yourself and your own faults. You may already accept those 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.

To ask again, "how do I become genuinely happy?" If I refer you to a friend
of mine who said, "Most of us know that laughter is the best medicine." But most
of us don't realize that the best kind of laughter is laughter over self. Because
then you don't just become happy, you win your freedom.