http://www.articletrader.com/ Articles at ArticleTrader en-us http://www.articletrader.com/self-improvement/happiness/the-path-to-happiness.html http://www.articletrader.com/self-improvement/happiness/the-path-to-happiness.html Tue, 10 Jan 2006 00:00:00 -0600
So often we get caught up in what I call the “if only’s”. If only my husband were nicer to me. If only I had a better job. If only the children were grown and out of the house. The list can go on and on.

We can waste so much of our precious time dreaming of the “if only’s”. So many people fall into this trap and end up miserable most of their lives.

The problem is that they are looking for happiness to come to them somehow. As if it were something that could be possessed. When happiness does happen to come it seems so fleeting that it quickly passes away.

People erroneously think that happiness is just a feeling like some passing fancy. I am here to tell you that happiness is not a feeling, it can be a way of life. Happiness can be yours on a daily basis if you will only follow some basic principles.

First, you must live in the NOW. Yesterday is gone and tomorrow is not promised to us so you need to be present in the now.

Secondly, you must control your thinking and the thoughts that pass through your mind. Happiness can be called a state of mind and the way to happiness is bringing your mind into its proper state.

If I live in Texas and I want to be in California I need to change states. In order for me to be in that State I need to make some changes. In this analogy we will decide to take a train. The train must be going in the proper direction and we will arrive at our destination. We must know which train we are on, or we may end up where we don’t want to be.

Think of this train as your thoughts. That’s right, your train of thought. If you don’t want to stay in Texas you have to get on the right train. If you let any train of thought into your mind then you will be taken to and fro and never arrive at the destination you want.

The question then is how do we get on the right train?

The ticket to getting on the right train is called gratitude. Gratitude is an attitude and as we look to all that we have to be thankful for instead of dwelling on what our problems are we will find that we too can be whisked away to the state that we wish to be in.

There is a path to happiness and that path is gratitude.


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This article is bought to you by Sharron Myers Sharron Myers has been a teacher of Spiritual Truth for over 30 years. She also is a Certified Aromatherapist and Personal Development Consultant. Be sure to check out her site: www.sharron-myers.com To Live the Life You Want, Learn the Skills You Need www.sharron-myers.com

Source: http://www.articletrader.com ]]> http://www.articletrader.com/self-improvement/happiness/finding-happiness-in-your-treasure-chest.html http://www.articletrader.com/self-improvement/happiness/finding-happiness-in-your-treasure-chest.html Fri, 27 Jan 2006 00:00:00 -0600
The Treasure Chest of the mind is where we put our most cherished memories. We open this chest when looking for happiness, comfort and contentment.

The Hope Chest of our mind is for our goals and dreams of tomorrow. As each is fulfilled it is then moved to our Treasure Chest.

The Dumpster Chest of the mind is for letting go of the hurts and trash of yesterday. Once in this chest they are dumped, to be forever let go. Once these memories are put in the Dumpster Chest you should never go digging them out.

Our thoughts are a reflection on who we are. Happy people have happy thoughts. That doesn’t mean that the happy person never has an unhappy thought, it means the happy person knows how to move these unhappy thoughts into the Dumpster Chest and then forget about them.

If someone speaks of you and is not pleasant or someone acts and is not nice to you, it is not a reflection of you but a reflection of them. Do you think they are happy? What is in their Treasure Chest or Hope Chest that should have been put in their Dumpster Chest? How sad for them, but don’t let it affect you.
If you want to be happy, take the time to sit and think about your thoughts. Put the good ones in your Treasure Chest or Hope Chest and the bad ones in your Dumpster Chest. Focus only on your Treasure Chest and Hope Chest for they are now full of the jewels of hope and joy.

Happy people spend their effort adding to their Treasure and Hope chests while unhappy people spend their time sorting through the dumpster. If you are serious about finding happiness, leave the trash behind and become a treasure hunter.


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Gary Mosher is co-author of the award-winning ‘Buddha in the Boardroom’, the business book that shows you how to excel in today’s chaotic and stressful workplace environment, available from Bodhi Tree Publishing, LLC at http://www.bodhitreepublishing.com Visit Gary’s blog at http://www.buddhaintheboardroom.blogspot.com

Source: http://www.articletrader.com ]]> http://www.articletrader.com/self-improvement/happiness/are-you-lucky-to-have-somebody-who-understands-you.html http://www.articletrader.com/self-improvement/happiness/are-you-lucky-to-have-somebody-who-understands-you.html Thu, 23 Feb 2006 00:00:00 -0600 Friendship
Connecting with people

I am not talking only about a wife or a husband or a friend or a companion? Anyone it can be. But do you have someone who understands you and who is with you always? If yes, you are a very lucky person. God has given you all the luck you wanted. Because getting a person like what I talked above is very difficult. You will rather find that during your time of hardships, pains and misery, you are alone. No one will understand your actions or motives. They will argue with you. They will suggest you. But they will not be with you. You will have to face your misery all alone and on that day, you will cry for someone who understands you.

You will not get that person. Your beating heart may stop with the pain. People will gather to bury you. But no one will help you live, when you wanted. That time you will probably thank death for getting you away from this world of loneliness.

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CDMohatta writes text for Inspirational and motivational eCards. please view some of them here. Please Carry On - Inspirational. , The Winner - Motivational and Fight It Out - Persistance.

Source: http://www.articletrader.com ]]> http://www.articletrader.com/self-improvement/happiness/ingratitude-is-hateful.html http://www.articletrader.com/self-improvement/happiness/ingratitude-is-hateful.html Thu, 23 Feb 2006 00:00:00 -0600 screensavers about God, before proceeding further. Please also see this to know more about God's love for us. Let us return to talk of gratitude.

What is gratitude? Simply saying 'thank you' is at times enough to express our gratitude, whereas at times, we are helped so much by someone that mere words of thanks can never repay the help. This kind of help and sharing has to be remembered by us at all the times and we should make every effort to repay that. Even if we are not able to repay the gratitude in full, our very feeling of being obliged keeps our heart pure and makes our helper feel good.

We cannot measure the value of some acts of help. There is no method to measure. Certain acts may save our life. Certain acts may support us during our worst time. How do we measure them? No amount of money or any work in return can do that. But we can at least be ready and apply all our might to return the help in all possible ways.

A mother brings up her children with great effort. Often keeping herself hungry to feed her child. How do we repay our mother? We can at least try and see that our mother never feels helpless and alone in her old age. She is never short of money and she feels totally satisfied that her children take every care to keep her comfortable.

Similarly, we are many a times, helped in our life by our spouse. We not only feel fully supported but the sacrifice and help also overwhelms us. What if we walk out after all this? What if we leave our spouse alone to fight his/her battle after saving our own life? What if we not only forget what all was done to help us, but also see selfish reasons for that help? This is hateful and never forgiven by God. One should never commit any sin, and one should never even dream of committing the sin of ingratitude. Even hell would not accept us.

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Screensavers with text are a different joy to watch. Mohatta writes for screensavers including those on success , Daily thoughts and Love thoughts

Source: http://www.articletrader.com ]]> http://www.articletrader.com/self-improvement/happiness/making-everyday-a-special-day.html http://www.articletrader.com/self-improvement/happiness/making-everyday-a-special-day.html Sun, 26 Feb 2006 00:00:00 -0600
Why is life becoming a bore for them and how to make it exciting? Can one escape work? No sensible person can? Can a parent stop caring for his/her children? No. Can an executive stop taking decisions? No. Then how to make life exciting? There must be some way. Yes, there is a way and it is very simple. Look out of your window and watch the sky. Do you observe any clouds? Look at them. Look at the different shapes? Who made them? From where did they arrive and where will they go? Look at some flowers in your home. Observe the symmetry. Touch and feel the softness. How lovely! We are surrounded by treasures, but we have no time to look at them. A child's smile can make today a different day than any other day. Try to make a child smile and feel the joy. Look at the night sky. Observe the stars and think about the distances. Some are so far away that it takes light, hundreds of years to reach us. How many millions of years you will take to walk and reach them? What is beyond them? Observe, think and get excited. View some video shots on these screensavers and enjoy the beauty. Screensavers - Flowers , Screensavers - Sunsets, Screensavers - Seasons . Life need never be dull for any of us.

Take another example. While sitting on your table, have you ever wondered about the wood that was used to make it? Have you thought about the life of the tree? A small seed grew into a gigantic tree. How exciting. What of the tar on the road? It comes from deep inside the earth, goes to refineries and is laid on the roads. How deep must the oil well have been? How did they locate the oil and what will happen after we finish all the oil?

The world is full of objects that can make us think and wonder. It is our attitude that makes our life. If we adopt a child-like attitude towards things, we will bring joy back in life. I am not asking you to give up your work and enjoy. But find time during the day to look at things and wonder. Bring joy back in your life. You can begin right now. Look at your screen. What happens to the text after you shut down your computers? Where does it all go, when you close the browser? Isn't life full of excitement? Live it.

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More about the author: The author writes mainly on encouragement, business, love and life. You can read more of the author CD Mohatta's writings in screensavers and computer wallpapers and egreetings at these links: Business Management Screensavers, All The Best Cards and Love Egreetings.

Source: http://www.articletrader.com ]]> http://www.articletrader.com/self-improvement/happiness/are-celebrities-happy.html http://www.articletrader.com/self-improvement/happiness/are-celebrities-happy.html Sun, 26 Feb 2006 00:00:00 -0600
What is happiness? Happiness means a sense of deep contentment. A cheerful outlook. An attitude of positive thoughts. Please view some of these butterflies. They look happy and contented. Isn't it? Screensaver- Butterflies-1, screensaver- Butterflies -2 A person who has the qualities of contentment, fearlessness and positive outlook is happy during all the times of the day. How about celebrities then? They have name, fame and wealth. They can not only buy whatever object they desire, but they can also buy a loved one. They can buy anything. Their name is splashed around in the media most of the times. Every news about them is awaited by the general population. Celebrities may not have been born with a silver spoon in the mouth, but the current spoon is mostly that of gold. So they must be happy! Don't we think so?

But sadly, happiness is away from most of the celebrities. Speaking of contentment, most of them not only feel any contentment, but are frustrated. Their every movement is captured by the media. They are always in the public eye. So they try to hide from the glare and sometimes feel jealous of the common man , who can move around freely without getting bothered. And they have no deep sense of peace in them. Rather their life and minds are full of turbulence most of the times. They are at times so dissatisfied with their own life that they wish to run away from themselves. This they cannot do, and therefore substances that take them away from their own realities are often used by them.

Happiness has something to do with money, but only to an extent. Happiness has nothing to do with fame, if you are not satisfied with yourself. Whatever the world may say, unless one has self-esteem, one can never be happy. All of us sail in the same boat. Most of us are living unhappy lives most of the time. Let us get happiness that will give us a satisfied sense of living. Let us strive for happiness in our own inner world. No amount of fame can buy happiness that is life giving.

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You can read more of the author CD Mohatta's work in screen savers and desktop wallpapers and egreetings at these sites: Clock Screensavers, Inspirational Cards and Love Ecards.

Source: http://www.articletrader.com ]]> http://www.articletrader.com/self-improvement/happiness/giving-happiness.html http://www.articletrader.com/self-improvement/happiness/giving-happiness.html Sun, 26 Feb 2006 00:00:00 -0600
Let us do all this for others. If no one is praising us, let us praise others. Let us do all that we want others to do to us. Let us give love, affection, appreciation, and let us applaud others even for a very small victory. Will this help us? It helps us immediately. The first feeling we get after doing a good deed is that of satisfaction. This raises our self esteem. This makes us feel good. By making others happy, we get happiness. So let us become proactive and get all we want by not asking for it, but giving it.

What about those who get such praise from us? They will feel very happy. They will be happy with us. They will like us even more. They will like to do something in return. They will do all that we have been wishing for. Send happiness to get happiness. The shortest route to a lovely life.

Here are some immediate resources for you. Start clicking on these eCards and send them across to whoever you can think of. Within few days, your own inbox will be full of messages of praise, love and applause. View the eCards here. All The best, Congratulate, Good Day, Thinking of you, and Thank You. Happiness is a state of mind. We feel happy when we feel contented with ourselves..In a happy state,one feels cheerful with one's life and circumstances.

Remaining unhappy is not our goal in life, but happiness is our goal. If we are not happy, life become a burden. In an unhappy state, one lives, but only because one has no other choice. Why not make happiness a part of everyday living? Giving pain to a friend or anyone for that matter is a crime against humanity, provided that pain is undeserved. Even if the pain or punishment is deserved by anyone, we can always try and forgive. Better to focus on giving happiness to others. By giving happiness, we get it in return manifold.

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We hope you liked this article. You can read more of the author CD Mohatta's romantic messages in screensavers and wallpapers, ecards and greetings at these websites: Be Mine Forever Cards, I Miss You Cards and at Life In Love Screensavers.

Source: http://www.articletrader.com ]]> http://www.articletrader.com/self-improvement/happiness/keeping-others-happy-at-every-cost.html http://www.articletrader.com/self-improvement/happiness/keeping-others-happy-at-every-cost.html Fri, 03 Mar 2006 00:00:00 -0600
If accidentally, I step on someone's foot on a busy street, and the other person is not ready to accept my apologies, but thinks that he will be happy only by beating me to pulp, shall I let him do that? Should I reason with him, or make him feel happy. All right, I lie down here without offering any resistance and you please be happy by kicking me as much as you want. After getting so badly beaten, I try to reach a hospital and find out that the doctors and nurses will only feel happy by making me wait for endless hours. If I request them to look at me sooner, they will get angry because many other patients have to be attended to and the medical staff is over-burdened, or so one thinks. So I make them happy, by remaining in pain for long and then get operated wrongly. It was my liver that was injured, but the surgeon wrongly operated on my kidney. Shall I make him/her unhappy by complaining of this blunder? The poor surgeon is already burdened with work and home-related problems. How can I add to them? So? I keep quiet. What of my family? They want me to get healthy again and begin taking their care as soon as possible. But I am in no state of doing that. What shall I do now? How can I make my family unhappy? Some of them have planned vacations; some have to buy other expensive gadgets. If I stay in the hospital, who will pay for all those expenses? So I try going back to work and make money.

But I am so weak and hurt, that I cannot work. My boss feels that he will be very happy by removing me from the job. I accept that without protest. Protesting may make him unhappy. I walk out on the road and am very happy to be killed by a drunk driver on the road. In the whole sequence, if I take a new birth, and go back to every character of this story, I will be surprised to find that they are all are very unhappy with me. My family thinks that I cheated on them by not getting treated properly. My surgeon will think that I should have given him one more chance of operating upon me and making me sicker. My boss thinks that I left an important position that is now difficult to fill. The drunk driver thinks that I intentionally came across the car and got hit.

Life is very difficult, whichever the way you live. Should someone happily surrender to a rapist to make him happy? Strange thinking always produces strange and painful results. Before we start getting beaten by others, we must think about it and decide to find out if they have that right. Otherwise they will always remain unhappy, and we shall always get hit. Does this make us think? Please view these screensavers to think more about how life plays games with us and how to win the games. Screensavers - Living 1, Screensavers - Living 2

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More about the author: The author writes mainly on encouragement, business, love and life. You can read more of the author CD Mohatta's writings in screensavers and computer wallpapers and egreetings at these links: Business Management Screensavers, All The Best Cards and Love Egreetings.

Source: http://www.articletrader.com ]]> http://www.articletrader.com/self-improvement/happiness/unhappy-at-work-a-change-is-coming.html http://www.articletrader.com/self-improvement/happiness/unhappy-at-work-a-change-is-coming.html Tue, 07 Mar 2006 00:00:00 -0600
There is, however, hope for us drones. A change is coming. It may not be today, tomorrow or even this year, but your present situation will change. It has to, it’s the law. Okay, maybe not the law, but it is a law. It’s known as 'The Universal Law of Impermanence', which states that everything changes. Some change comes rapidly and some change takes eons, but eventually everything changes. You could find another job, get a promotion or transfer, or maybe your unfair boss or troublesome colleague will leave. Eventually the situation will change -- it has to.

Confucius said “Find a job you love and you’ll never have to work another day in your life.” If that sounds good to you, you probably don’t want to wait eons for it to occur. Buddhism teaches us that we can either wait for the change to occur naturally, or we can initiate the change. It’s the difference between taking control of our lives or leaving it all up to the whim of the universe.

How much time have you spent actually trying to improve your situation? Sure, complaining is easy but it accomplishes very little. Have you actually looked for another job? Have you tried to improve your skills through in-house training, adult learning centers, books or correspondence courses? If none of these options are available to you, have you tried creating a better relationship with your boss and co-workers? Even the smallest step in the right direction is progress.

There is no one solution that is perfect for everyone -- we all have unique situations, but if we are persistent and creative enough there are always options available to begin the process of change. Some people believe that finding happiness at work is as elusive as finding the Holy Grail, but how will you know until you’ve really tried?

You can help speed up the process of change or you can wait for it to occur naturally. Either way, a change is coming -- it’s a law.




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Gary Mosher is co-author of the award-winning ‘Buddha in the Boardroom’, the book that shows you how to excel in today’s chaotic and stressful workplace environment. Read the first chapter for FREE at Bodhi Tree Publishing, LLC

Source: http://www.articletrader.com ]]> http://www.articletrader.com/self-improvement/happiness/its-no-joke-laughter-is-awesome-medicine.html http://www.articletrader.com/self-improvement/happiness/its-no-joke-laughter-is-awesome-medicine.html Thu, 09 Mar 2006 00:00:00 -0600
In this modern world that we live in, full of medicinal remedies and medical breakthroughs, who would ever dream that something as simple as laughter could induce such amazing benefits to your health that could rival highly scientific compounds found in drugs of today?

The idea that laughter may have some serious benefits to our health may have been what spurned on many scientific research projects pertaining to the benefits of laughter on our bodies. Over the years, countless experiments have concluded with scientific data that laughter has one of the most astounding benefits for your health. We have heard about the positive impact animals and clowns have had on nursing home and terminally ill children. Scientists have taken that idea a step further. Experiments have been conducted on such things as type II Diabetes which is an increasing problem for many Americans today. A study done in Japan at the Foundation for Advancement of International Science, Bio-Laboratory, found that laughter helps regulate gene expression to help control type II Diabetes. This is a huge discovery. This means that laughter has such a homeopathic effect on even the gene expression on our DNA that perhaps if we were a happier sort the gene that causes type II Diabetes may possibly never be expressed. Granted, it will likely not take the place of insulin therapy, but it may be key in helping to prevent the disease.

Studies also suggest that laughter positively affects rheumatoid arthritis by affecting the level of the condition as well as psychological benefits in controlling stress and stress related conditions. Perhaps the biggest discovery, published by S. Karger AG, Basel, is that laughter is now being proven to alleviate some of the lasting effects of heart attacks such as less medication and fewer repeat attacks with humor therapy of just thirty minutes per day. Can you imagine the impact?

Go ahead and laugh. Point and giggle, do it with pride and do it for your health. You may be preventing Diabetes when you cackle aloud. You could be keeping yourself from having a heart attack or stroke when you belly laugh to the point of tears. It’s ok! It will be contagious and soon everyone around you will be laughing too. Life can sometimes be serious and tiring, but if you look around and can draw some laughter out of what may seem mundane you could possibly be helping your health. Learn a new joke and tell it to everyone you know no matter if you are a good joke teller or not! Join a Laughter Yoga class at your local ‘Y’ even! Go ahead, laugh! Your health can truly depend on it!

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This article was written by Chad Ferguson of http://www.funnies.com/. Funnies.com is THE place to go for thousands of funny jokes, pictures, greeting cards and more. Laugh it up! Reproductions of this article are encouraged but must include a link back to http://www.funnies.com/.

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