What makes a person happy? Money? Fame? Possessions? Accomplishments? We all know that isn’t true by a quick glance down at the latest celebrity gossip magazines while standing in line at a grocery store. When’s the last time there wasn’t a cover of some spoiled rotten celebrity who was being submitted to rehab? Seems like that’s always the story.
So what’s going on here? What is the causal factor for happiness? I don’t know if I know the answer, but looking at this picture gives some clues.
Happiness obviously has very little to do with the circumstances of your life. One person can be an orphan with literally no material possessions and be happy, while simultaneously a multi-millionaire celebrity who has ‘it all’ can spend their life in and out of rehab, depressed, miserable, and often ending up committing suicide or overdosing on drugs because they were blinded to the real solution.
Jim Carrey seems to have recognized this reality:
“I think everybody should get rich and famous and do everything they ever dreamed of so they can see that it’s not the answer.” – Jim Carrey
So what’s the answer? Well I’m not sure that I have it. Maybe happiness isn’t something that can be articulated or even understood by the mind. Maybe it can only be understood through example and experience.
Ultimately I do believe that happiness is a choice. Maybe not as clear cut as some people would make it out to be however. What I mean is happiness can become one of your habits, or default ways of being by choosing to condition yourself for it on a consistent basis. How can you condition yourself for happiness? Simple. Smile often. Look for the good in all things, situations, and people. Notice beauty. Take time to be thankful. And even do incantations.
Tony Robbins, one of my heros, articulates the principle of incantation perfectly here. Please listen to this as it is very powerful stuff.
“Everyday in everyway I’m getting happier and happier.”
“Thank you thank you thank you god, thank you.”
It works. Try it.
