HOW TO FIND HAPPINESS by Benedict Elie Copyright © 2008 All Rights Reserved
A number of people have reflected on these issues, particularly
psychologists, theologians and philosophers, along with astrologers
and cosmologists. For thousands of years, whether during Ancient
Greece, the Roman Empire or the Renaissance era, different directions
have been suggested. Even today, these major issues remain a matter
of concern. Some might even say that these strategic issues are
of the utmost importance. This article summarizes a few lessons drawn from the Zodiac on
the art of finding happiness and joy in life. KNOWING YOURSELF As the saying goes, "When you want something done right,
you have to do it yourself." Happiness cannot be bought or
found on store shelves. Preferably, such thinking effort should take place in a peaceful,
quiet setting. The process involves
reflecting primarily on one’s
strengths, weaknesses and main objectives
in life. It also defines the means to bring personal projects
to successful completion. In
short, the process involves proper
strategic planning. Naturally, there will always be obstacles, barriers or hurdles
in your way. You must learn to change
obstacles encountered into challenges to overcome. The sky is
not always blue and cloudless;
sometimes it rains, sometimes it is too
hot or too cold. There is widespread belief that life on earth
is no paradise. Our environment
is not always serene; however, simply
by taking time to reflect a little, problems can be solved. We
must adapt without losing sight
of our main objectives. "Every cloud has its silver lining",
as the proverb goes. The following chart illustrates the main points on which to focus
when trying to get to know yourself better and find happiness and
joy in life. REASON The first element to consider when seeking happiness involves
our thoughts as such, including our ideas, mind and reason. The
great philosopher Aristotle once defined Man as a potentially reasonable
animal. The main purpose of reason is to prevent pointless disappointment,
misfortune, grief and stress. Another important purpose of reason
is to make us think about ways to find happiness on the short, medium
and long term. Joy in life is experienced within particular boundaries. Actions
must be achieved within established limits. Moreover, happiness
requires some amount of self-control and that we be the masters
of our lives. But
above all, reason basically has a single goal: to help us
find happiness and joy in life. In short, finding happiness means
achieving a certain inner balance through reasoning. Naturally,
personal health and well-being should be a major concern. Reason
must encourage us to eat and rest properly.
It must see to
it that we take the necessary steps to
enjoy the best possible health conditions.
After all, we ourselves basically determine what to
eat and when to rest. Monitoring our
health and overall well-being while
ensuring proper physical fitness is certainly an obligation
to be considered when striving to become
a master of oneself and one’s life and to find joy in life
on the short, medium and long term.
In this regard, "slow
and steady wins the race",
as the proverb goes. Undoubtedly, this
other proverb may also come to mind: "Healthy mind, healthy
body". For thousands of years Man has always celebrated
love, whether in literature, love songs, soft music or today’s
movies. Love is often presented from a romantic, idealized
or spiritual perspective. Love and spirituality go hand in hand
and may include
theological connotations: Jesus taught
us to "Love thy neighbour
as thyself". Human beings are not meant to live alone on an
ongoing basis; most of us seek our "soul mate". To some extent, you have control over your health, sexual life,
financial security, human relationships in general, and the completion
of your projects. In love, another person is involved, following
and observing you closely, at times judging you and even disagreeing
with you. Love is certainly fascinating, but it is not easily controlled.
This
area is very touchy. In addition,
love requires some detachment in order not to lose ourselves completely
into the other person.
Otherwise, we are in for a major
heartbreak.
It seems that the first heartbreak
is the hardest. On the long run, we get used to heartbreaks
to some extent. In the chart above, sex overlaps the areas of Health and Well-being
and Love and Spirituality. Without any doubt, "loveless sex" may
be found, but it is much less rewarding. In general, statistics show that financial difficulties cause
a great deal of stress. Therefore, we should live reasonably and
within our means. Preferably, budgets should be prepared to anticipate
expenses based on income. At a minimum, expenses should match income,
and savings should yield benefits in a steady, sensible way. In our modern times, the freedom of opinion and, generally speaking,
freedom of expression have been gained. But we have not acquired
the absolute right to work or to wealth (from a legal point of view,
one cannot be required to work or be wealthy). Hence, it is better
to control our financial security ourselves and to proceed carefully
in this area. This important aspect in an individual’s
life leads to the road to happiness and joy in life. First, self-fulfilment and achieving personal objectives
certainly require a sound thinking process. We must know ourselves
and what
we want. We must take the necessary steps
to achieve the objectives we set for ourselves on the short, medium
and long term. In this
regard, establishing a limited number
of more realistic objectives in order to achieve them satisfactorily
is recommended. Moreover,
people will appreciate work properly
done. There is a judgment issue in this area. Lastly, the more
you limit the number of objectives,
the more you are able to achieve them.
As the saying goes, “There
is no need to start a project that cannot
be brought to successful completion. ” It is up to you to “thrive” in areas
of your choice, like a beautiful flower under the sun. Through
your own reason,
you determine the areas where you want
to find self-fulfilment. You are also the one to decide on the
steps to take to complete
your projects. People certainly need some time alone to think, meditate and commune
with themselves. We also seek a soul mate, partner or lover. Third,
we should not neglect our human relationships, network of friends
and acquaintances. A network of friends is very important indeed in appreciating
life and finding happiness and joy in life. Whether at work or play,
we may genuinely enjoy rubbing shoulders with interesting people
or people whom we find extraordinary. To achieve personal and professional
success in life, we must surround ourselves with good people. What
is more, the esteem that others have for us makes us feel secure
and happy. The chart illustrated above can be a useful tool to begin initial
therapy with an individual. A therapist need only show the chart
to the individual involved and ask him/her to give his/her impressions,
indicate which are his/her strengths and weaknesses, and state what
he/she intends to do to solve his/her problems. We hope that you enjoyed the approach presented in this article. It could guide
you on the road to happiness. We wish you a wonderful life filled with happiness
and success in the projects you will choose to undertake. Acknowledgements The author of
this article would like to thank Réjean Déziel and
Suzanne Fiset for their precious advice. |
Copyright © 2008 Cosmic Patterns Software, Inc.
Created, Thursday, July
3, 2008 14:09