The Key to Change
Posted by Alan A on Feb 27th, 2009 | 0 Comments
I would imagine that if you’ve found this site through your own means, there’s a decent chance that you would like to be happier. If someone else sent you a link to this site, then maybe they want you to be happier Do you think it’s possible that you can be any happier? ... Read more...
Let’s Get Physical
Posted by Alan A on Mar 6th, 2009 | 0 CommentsOur physical condition and health can certainly affect how we feel spiritually, mentally and emotionally. Some physical conditions are out of our control, so for now, I will discuss the conditions that we can control. We can control how we take care of our bodies. We have control over the types of food we eat ... Read more...
Self-Induced Pain
Posted by Alan A on Mar 3rd, 2009 | 0 Comments
Other than ourselves, we don’t have control over much else in this life. At times, we probably struggle to control ourselves as well. How many of you can say that you are in full control of your emotions and actions one-hundred percent of the time? Did you ever regret behaving in a certain way or ... Read more...
Simple, Not Easy
Posted by Alan A on Mar 8th, 2009 | 0 CommentsI suggest, in more than one instance on this site, that being happy is a simple matter and that the principles described here on Happiness Help, are usually quite simple. Sometimes so simple, that you may over complicate the matter and miss the simple point. But, let me make something clear…simple and easy are not ... Read more...
Fellowship
Posted by Alan A on Mar 17th, 2009 | 0 CommentsMany people, who believe in a Higher Power, chose to belong to a particular church or church group. There are others who are recovering alcoholics who choose to belong to a twelve step recovery group. Still there are others, who need help with gambling or over-eating who choose to seek help from the appropriate twelve ... Read more...
Time Takes Time
Posted by Alan A on Apr 6th, 2009 | 0 CommentsIf you are trying to practice the principles outlined on this site in your life, then you may have already discovered that dramatic spiritual and psychological change may take some time. Certainly, we can begin changing immediately but some of the results of our changes will take time. For those of you short on patience ... Read more...
Criticizing Others
Posted by Alan A on Apr 30th, 2009 | 0 CommentsHow often do we talk negatively of other people? We speak negatively of others for a variety of reasons but we commonly do it so as to prop ourselves up by putting others down, whether we choose to admit such motives or not. ... Read more...
Depression and Spirituality
Posted by Alan A on May 6th, 2009 | 0 CommentsDepression comes in many shapes and sizes ranging from mild to severe, from situational to clinical. This post will not focus on the medical aspects of depression such as definitions and diagnosis, as I am not a doctor or mental health professional, but will instead focus on ways of reducing or eliminating depression through spiritual ... Read more...
Be Mindful
Posted by Alan A on May 2nd, 2009 | 0 CommentsThis post is about meditation, but not in the way that you may be accustomed. Sitting and walking meditation can be very helpful in many ways but what helps me the most is being mindful and aware of this moment as it is. ... Read more...
Basic Breath Meditation
Posted by Alan A on Apr 15th, 2009 | 0 Comments
Teaching and explaining forms of breath meditation, believe it or not, can consume many chapters in a book. This is my first post on mediation and this is a blog, not a book, so I will stick to the basics.
A meditation cushion and pillow are ideal so if you want to get serious about meditation,
...
Read more...
Financial Stress
Posted by Alan A on Feb 14th, 2009 | 0 Comments
We are in the midst of an economic crisis perhaps not seen since The Great Depression. Hundreds of thousands are losing there jobs due to employment cutbacks and to make matters worse, companies are freezing hires. Over the past couple of years we have seen a tremendous amount of home foreclosures. Considering the growing number ... Read more...
Let’s Talk About God
Posted by Alan A on Feb 16th, 2009 | 0 CommentsGod, Higher Power, Jesus, Universal Force are just some of the names used to depict a persons belief in, well…God. There are also atheists, those who do not believe in God. Whatever your belief is or isn’t, faith is an important component of being happy. I’m not telling you that you have to be religious ... Read more...
Letting Go
Posted by Alan A on Mar 4th, 2009 | 4 CommentsMost of our fears can be put into one of two categories. Fear of not getting what we want or fear of losing what we have. Most of our negative reactions to life result from a lack of acceptance. We are afraid and we don’t accept because of our lack of faith in a Higher ... Read more...
Smile Before You Talk
Posted by Alan A on Apr 20th, 2009 | 0 CommentsMy wife has told me more than once to think before I talk. My wife speaks English with a Spanish accent and her grammar is less than perfect so her exact words to me were “think before to talk” We were both told once by an elderly monk that before we speak to ... Read more...
Be Aware and Be at Peace
Posted by Alan A on Apr 14th, 2009 | 0 Comments
Part II of “Emotional Stability in the Observer”
In my last post, “Emotional Stability in the Observer”, I talked about the observer being aware of our thoughts and actions. Let me expound a bit on just how this awareness increases our peace and happiness.
It’s important to first understand why we experience discord and unhappiness. Basically
...
Read more...
Do You Ever Feel Small?
Posted by Alan A on Apr 9th, 2009 | 0 CommentsHave you ever gone outside at night and looked up at the moon and stars and realized just how small you really are? It’s almost a feeling of insignificance but it’s not related to low self-esteem. This realization, this feeling of being small, immediately diminishes our self-importance leaving us with a feeling of peace. The ... Read more...
Honesty
Posted by Alan A on Apr 1st, 2009 | 0 CommentsOur ability to be honest and our level of honesty greatly impacts our happiness. Honesty is much more than simply not telling lies. There are many levels of honesty, some which we are capable of seeing and some which we are not. The levels of honesty that we do not recognize are a result of ... Read more...
The Answer
Posted by Alan A on Feb 26th, 2009 | 2 CommentsIt’s easier to be happy when everything is going your way, right? But life doesn’t always go our way, does it? Not to be pessimistic but there will be trying times, separation from loved ones, sickness and death, to name a few, that’s just the way life is. Those are the big ones, what about ... Read more...
A Grateful Heart
Posted by Alan A on Apr 4th, 2009 | 0 CommentsIt’s difficult not to be happy when we have a grateful heart. For the first twenty plus years of my life, I had never experienced gratitude so when trying to identify with it, the closest I could come was being glad. Now that I have a grateful heart, I know that there is a tremendous ... Read more...
Unhappily Judging Others
Posted by Alan A on Mar 22nd, 2009 | 0 Comments
Do you like to be judged by others? Why then do you judge other people? Do you feel truly happy when you’re judging others? There are many reasons why we judge other people. I will touch on a few of those reasons with the hope of creating an awareness upon which you may choose to ... Read more...
Self-Acceptance
Posted by Alan A on Feb 25th, 2009 | 0 Comments
Do you like yourself? Are you happy the way you turned out? Do you wish you were different? Maybe you like yourself, for the most part, but you still possess a few characteristics that plague you. You can certainly try to change yourself to be more of the person that you had in mind but ... Read more...
The Cause of Our Problems
Posted by Alan A on Mar 7th, 2009 | 0 Comments
The cause of our emotional and spiritual problems, our pains and fears can be attributed to one thing (and it’s not the baby deer:). Now, before you get too excited waiting for the answer, I don’t have a magic cure that will eliminate all of your problems. But I can help you reduce this thing ... Read more...
Don’t Think So Much
Posted by Alan A on Mar 26th, 2009 | 0 CommentsPart II of “Why Worry About Tomorrow”
What do we think about when we think? It is possible that we think too much. Many times are thoughts are not productive or useful and they decrease our ability to be happy and at peace. So there you have it, don’t think and be happy. Almost, but not
...
Read more...
Emotional Stability in the Observer
Posted by Alan A on Apr 11th, 2009 | 0 CommentsWe possess an ability to observe what is happening in our own body and mind. Whether this observer is in our minds or somehow separate, it can observe the mind itself. There are our thoughts and that which is aware of our thoughts. There are our feelings and that which is aware of our feelings. ... Read more...
The Importance of Balance
Posted by Alan A on May 13th, 2009 | 0 Comments
I have been reminded lately of the importance of maintaining balance in life. Sometimes we can push ourselves too hard trying to achieve an objective and become almost obsessed while losing our balance that is oh so important in this life. If we become too focused and driven to achieve any one goal, we risk ... Read more...
There is Suffering
Posted by Alan A on Apr 27th, 2009 | 0 Comments
Most of us would say that I am sad, I am angry, I am in pain or I am suffering when we experience such feelings and emotions. Are feelings and emotions such as sadness, anger, pain and suffering original to each of us or are they shared by us all? It seems to me that ... Read more...
Angry Outbursts
Posted by Alan A on Apr 23rd, 2009 | 0 Comments
How do you feel after you react to a situation with anger? Does anger make you feel powerful and in control or embarrassed and out of control or both? However anger makes you feel and whether you know it or not, anger is not conducive to peace and happiness. ... Read more...
Pure Awareness
Posted by Alan A on Mar 11th, 2009 | 1 CommentsWe all have thoughts and feelings, positive, negative, pleasant, unpleasant and everything in between. Let’s say for example, you have a pleasant thought followed by the corresponding pleasant feeling. What is it exactly that is feeling pleasant? I’m not a doctor so let’s keep this simple and say that all of this happens in your ... Read more...
Be Positive for a Day
Posted by Alan A on Apr 24th, 2009 | 1 CommentsDo you think you can be positive for one day? Absolutely no negativity allowed from the time you wake to the time you go to bed. As you make a conscious effort to do this, you will be more aware of your negative thoughts, speech and feelings that occur throughout the course of the day. ... Read more...
My Mind Won’t Stop
Posted by Alan A on Apr 8th, 2009 | 0 Comments
Do you ever feel as if you can’t turn off your mind and thoughts? Does your mind race preventing you from falling asleep or staying focused on a particular task? Does your mind run on and on to the point where you can’t take it anymore and you wish it would just stop? ... Read more...
Are You in Control?
Posted by Alan A on Mar 18th, 2009 | 2 Comments
As I touched on in the post titled Letting Go, we become afraid at the thought losing what we possess or of not getting what we want. In other words, when we don’t get our way we become afraid or upset in some way. So, what might you do when you find yourself in such ... Read more...
Living in the Moment
Posted by Alan A on Feb 22nd, 2009 | 0 CommentsSometimes life is going along just the way we want it to go and other times…it’s not! During such trying times, dealing with the moment can be challenging, never mind bringing the past and future into the mix. Let’s say all is well in your world at this moment. How many of you mess that ... Read more...
Why Worry About Tomorrow?
Posted by Alan A on Mar 25th, 2009 | 2 CommentsPart I
When we worry about the future we ruin the present moment. The fears of what tomorrow might bring are experienced in the here and now, so how can we be happy at a given moment if we are worrying about the future at that same moment? That’s not a trick question The
...
Read more...
Letting Go of Relationships
Posted by Alan A on Mar 24th, 2009 | 0 Comments
Have you ever been afraid to let go of a personal relationship, whether it be a boyfriend, girlfriend, husband or wife or even a platonic friendship? Our fears of detaching may be deep rooted and not so easily remedied. Such clinging and obsessive behaviors may appear unseemly to others who do not understand our fears ... Read more...
Resentment
Posted by Alan A on Mar 10th, 2009 | 1 Comments
I once heard resentment described as “setting yourself on fire, hoping the smoke bothers the other person”. This metaphor has since helped me put resentments in perspective. It’s bad enough that someone may have committed an injustice against us, now we’re going to let them continue to harm us by allowing our resentment against them ... Read more...
Reacting with Anger
Posted by Alan A on Feb 28th, 2009 | 1 CommentsAnger, we all have it, some more than others, but little good ever comes from it. It’s an emotion, a feeling and a shortcoming that breeds more anger and hate and fear. Some of you may think that you need to be angry at times to accomplish certain tasks such as giving someone who deserves ... Read more...
Too Miserable To Be Happy
Posted by Alan A on Mar 15th, 2009 | 0 CommentsSo, are you too miserable to be happy? This may sound funny to some but I’m guessing that there are people out there who understand this all too well. There are times that you may be in a state of such tremendous negativity that it’s almost impossible for anyone or anything to positively influence you. ... Read more...
Is Venting Good for You?
Posted by Alan A on Jun 17th, 2009 | 0 CommentsHave you ever wondered if venting was a useful way to release your emotions? Simply put, is venting good for you? I guess that depends on what you mean by venting. If by venting you mean screaming, yelling, ranting or raving about your problems, feelings and emotions with anger, then no, venting is not good. ... Read more...
Living in the Moment
Posted by Alan A on Feb 22nd, 2009 | 0 CommentsSometimes life is going along just the way we want it to go and other times…it’s not! During such trying times, dealing with the moment can be challenging, never mind bringing the past and future into the mix. Let’s say all is well in your world at this moment. How many of you mess that ... Read more...
Feeling Good is Hard Work
Posted by Alan A on Mar 27th, 2009 | 0 CommentsTo those of you who are naturally happy and peaceful, this post may not apply, but for the rest of us, this happiness business takes a lot of effort. The spiritual principles* set forth on this site need to be incorporated into our lives. We can’t simply read the words on the screen and think ... Read more...
Recent Articles
Why Do We Get Stressed?
Posted by Alan A on Aug 29th, 2009 | 0 Comments
Are you stressed out? Why do we become stressed? Can you touch stress? Can you see stress? Can you smell stress? Can anyone go out and get me some stress? Where exactly is stress anyway? Are you getting the point here? Stress only exists within each of us which is actually a good thing ... Read more...
Why is Life So Hard?
Posted by Alan A on Jul 21st, 2009 | 0 CommentsThere are Four Noble Truths that were taught by the Buddha. The first pertains to Dukkha or suffering, and states in part that “there is suffering”. The Buddha said “what is the Noble Truth of Suffering? Birth is suffering, aging is suffering, sickness is suffering, dissociation from the loved is suffering, not to get what ... Read more...
How Can I Change?
Posted by Alan A on Jul 19th, 2009 | 0 Comments
So, just what do we need to do to change? Well, the first step to change is awareness and this will be the basis of this post. Sure, we can debate whether or not awareness is actually the first step but the point is that it is important to possess awareness if we want to ... Read more...
Hopefully Helpful Quotes
Posted by Alan A on Jul 10th, 2009 | 0 CommentsI thought I would post some tweets
- Life is as good or bad as I make it. I always have blessings, whether or not I choose to see them is entirely up to me.
- It’s fascinating just how happy & at peace I am when I am not consumed with me, myself &
...
Read more...
Peace and Happiness is a Choice
Posted by Alan A on Jul 6th, 2009 | 0 CommentsI am sure the title of this post will irritate a few people but, for the most part, it is a true statement. I was engaged in back and forth emails with someone and they suggested that I post one of the emails that I wrote to them. So, after a little editing, here it ... Read more...
How to Raise a Child
Posted by Alan A on Jul 5th, 2009 | 0 Comments
This post lists some basic child raising philosophies. The format of the post is a bit unusual in the sense that it is in the form of a letter written by someone with a child, to someone who was to care for the child, from time to time. I think the premise of the letter ... Read more...
Can My Thought Processes Be Changed?
Posted by Alan A on Jun 30th, 2009 | 0 CommentsThoughts, for the most part, are conditioned and can be changed. Although blaming the way we think on our parents and how we were raised may in fact be accurate, as adults, it is our responsibility to change the way we think. Our thought processes can be changed through awareness and effort, which is a ... Read more...
Life is Complicated…Right?
Posted by Alan A on Jun 27th, 2009 | 0 Comments
Is life complicated or do we just make it so? I believe life is much simpler than we make it. I am sure there will be many of you who are reading this saying to yourselves “life is complicated, what’s he talking about? He doesn’t understand all of the problems I have and they are ... Read more...
Keep Talking About It and It Will Grow
Posted by Alan A on Jun 21st, 2009 | 0 CommentsThis is part II of Is Venting Good for You
There is a fine line between therapeutic talking and the type of talking that makes your problems bigger. I am walking a tight rope here, I know, as there are most definitely times when we need to discuss our problems in order to find a resolution.
...
Read more...
Is Venting Good for You?
Posted by Alan A on Jun 17th, 2009 | 0 CommentsHave you ever wondered if venting was a useful way to release your emotions? Simply put, is venting good for you? I guess that depends on what you mean by venting. If by venting you mean screaming, yelling, ranting or raving about your problems, feelings and emotions with anger, then no, venting is not good. ... Read more...
Stay Connected
Copyright 2009-2010 HAPPINESS HELP. All Rights Reserved.
This blog is powered by Magatheme Pro Magazine Theme for Wordpress