Key to Happy Life
"I would be happy if I married and had children."
"I would be happy to have a house of my own."
"I would be happy to have that job."
"I would be happy. . . "
Have you ever thought like that? And, when you reach your goals or get the item you're after, can you continue to be happy? Or, does the happiness fade away? Of course, if we achieve our goals or get something to target, we can be happy. But, such happiness can also quickly disappear. True happiness depends not only on goods or achievements. Conversely, like good health, true happiness depends on many things.
Each of us is unique. What makes you happy does not necessarily make other people happy. In addition, we change as age increases. However, evidence shows that there are things that are always closely related to happiness. For example, true happiness is associated with cultivating a sense of satisfaction, avoiding envy, fostering affection for others, and building the toughness of mind and emotion. Let's look at the reason.
1. STRENGTHEN
"Money is for protection," writes the wise man who observes human nature. But, he also wrote, "The man who loves silver will not be satisfied with silver, so likewise those who love wealth will not be satisfied with income. This is futile. "( Ecclesiastes 5:10, 7:12 ) What does that mean? Although we need money to live, we should not be greedy, because we will never be satisfied! The author, King Solomon of ancient Israel, actually did a trial to see if wealth and luxury produced true happiness. "Whatever my eyes demand is not I keep away from him," he wrote. "I have not restrained my heart from any kind of joy." - Ecclesiastes 1:13; 2:10 .
With his great fortune, Solomon built magnificent houses, made beautiful gardens and pools, and bought many servants. Whatever he wants, he gets. But what did he realize then? The test did make her happy, but not for long. "See! Everything is vanity, "he said. "There is no profit." He hates life alot! ( Ecclesiastes 2:11, 17, 18 ) Yes, Solomon realizes that life just to please oneself ultimately will make a person feel empty and dissatisfied. *
Is modern research in keeping with that ancient understanding? According to an article in the Journal of Happiness Studies, a magazine contains research on happiness, "once a person's basic needs are met, additional income will not make him more prosperous". Yes, research results show that buying more goods, especially at the expense of moral and spiritual values, can erode one's happiness.
BIBLE PRINCIPLE: "Let your way of life be free from love of money, and be content with the things that are in you." - Hebrews 13: 5 .
2. DO NOT DENGKI
Jealousy is "a feeling of annoyance or dislike when one is aware of one's strength, accompanied by a desire to have the same advantage". Like a malignant tumor, malice can be rampant in a person and kill happiness. How can malice grow? How can we recognize this trait? And how can we get rid of it?
According to the Encyclopedia of Social Psychology, a book on human relationships, a person is usually spiteful of peers, or who have similar experiences or backgrounds. For example, a trader may not be jealous of a famous movie star. But he may be spiteful of more successful merchants.
Consider this example: There were high-ranking officials in ancient Persian who were spiteful, not against the king, but against another intelligent official named Daniel. They are so unhappy that they conspire to kill Daniel! But the ploy failed. ( Daniel 6: 1-24 ) "We must know that envy generates enmity," says the book mentioned earlier. "Therefore, it is not surprising why so many of the past crimes have been caused by envy." *
Jealousy can damage a person's ability to enjoy the good things in life
How can you recognize the jealous nature? Ask yourself: 'Does my friend's success make me happy or sad? If brother or sister, gifted classmate, or co-worker fails in any way, am I concerned or even happy? ' If you answered "sad" and "happy", you may be cultivating malice. ( Genesis 26: 12-14 ) "Envy," says the Encyclopedia of Social Psychology, "can undermine a person's ability to enjoy good things in life, and extinguish the gratitude of many gifts in life. . . . Such a tendency can not create happiness. "
We can get rid of malice by fostering sincere humility, which makes us able to appreciate the good and the ability of others. "[Do not] do anything because of quarrelsome or self-important," says the Bible, "but humbly think of others as superior to you." - Philippians 2: 3 .
BIBLE PRINCIPLE: "Do not consider yourself important, by arousing one's rivalry with one another, envying one another." - Galatians 5:26 .
3. PLEASE CONSIDER
"Compared to work, income, the environment, or even health, a person's feelings about his relationship with others are more likely to impact his life satisfaction," says Social Psychology. The point is, to be truly happy, humans need to love and cherish. "If I . . . have no love, I am nothing, "says a Bible writer. - 1 Corinthians 13: 2 .
It's never too late to cultivate affection. For example, Vanessa has a rude father and an alcoholic. When he was 14, he ran away from home. He lives with several different families, also in a house for homeless people where he remembers asking for God's help. Then, perhaps in answer to his prayers, he was placed with a family that lived according to biblical principles, namely "love is patient and kind". ( 1 Corinthians 13: 4 ) Such an atmosphere, plus what he himself learned from the Bible, helped Vanessa to heal emotionally and mentally. The grades in school are also very good.
Vanessa still has emotional wounds. Even so, he is now happy to be a wife and mother of two daughters.
BIBLE PRINCIPLE: "Put on love, for it is the perfect unifying bond." - Colossians 3:14 .
4. BE SOLD
Who lives without problems? As the Bible says, there is "a time to weep" and "a time to mourn". ( Ecclesiastes 3: 4 ) Toughness allows us to pass through such times, again rising from the pit of trouble. Watch the story of Carol and Mildred.
Carol suffers from spinal cord loss, diabetes, sleep disturbances, and vision problems that have blinded her left eye. However, he said, "Despite the slump, I do not want to linger in the sadness. I not only think about myself, but thank God for what I can do, especially for others. "
Mildred also suffers from various diseases, such as diabetes, breast cancer, and arthritis. But like Carol, she did not want to think about the problem. "I learned to care for people and comfort those who are sick, and that also help me myself," he wrote. "In fact, when I'm comforting others, I forget my problem."
Carol and Mildred deliver the good news from the Bible to someone in the park
Carol and Mildred are happy to entertain others
Despite wanting to get good medical care and care about health, the two women also think about their attitude and the way they spend their time. As a result, they get a true happiness that no one can take. In addition, they are cherished and set an example for people facing trials.
BIBLE PRINCIPLE: "Blessed is the one who perseveres in the end of the ordeal, for after his acceptance he will receive the crown of life." - James 1:12 .
If applied, the wisdom of the Bible would be "the tree of life for those who hold on to it, and those who hold on to it will be called blessed." ( Proverbs 3: 13-18 ) Prove for yourself the truth by applying the wisdom recorded in the Bible! However, the author of this holy book , also called "the happy God", wants you to be happy too. - 1 Timothy 1:11 .