What about all of the other hours during the day? What brings smiles?
"A truly happy person is one who can enjoy the scenery while on a detour." Anonymous
Our happiness is a matter of perspective on life, but also on habits that we develop.
Dr. Cloud presents several other findings in his book about how people influence their emotional state in a positive way. Some of these include:
1. Happy people have faith. [See our last blog.]
2. Happy people have a calling. Having a job that you consider a calling from God, based on your talents, abilities, and passions, rather than seeing your job as a means to provide a living, or merely as a career path.
3. Happy people forgive. Unforgiveness can destroy a person’s life. Unforgiveness is like swallowing poison and waiting for the other person to die. Forgiveness releases you from the person who hurt you.
4. Happy people pursue goals, God’s goals. What He calls me to do, He will equip me to do and provide. But one thing I do: Forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead, I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus. (Philippians 3:13b-14)
5. Happy people fully engage. Whatever I do, I do it wholeheartedly. Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart. (Colossians 3:23)
6. Happy people connect. God created us for relationships. God has not constructed us to be fueled by accomplishments. He has constructed us to be fueled by love. (Dr. Henry Cloud)
7. Happy people don’t compare themselves. If I compare myself with others who have less or who I think are less gifted, then I can become prideful. If I compare myself to those who have more, then I have self-pity. Each one should test his own actions. Then he can take pride in himself, without comparing himself to somebody else, for each one should carry his own load. (Galatians 6:4-5)
8. Happy people think well. I am vigilant about my thought life. Believing God’s truth about who He is, who I am, and not believing the lies of the enemy. I can assume good will and ask for clarification whenever people say something to me that sounds hurtful. We are taking every thought captive to the obedience of Christ. (2 Corinthians 10:5) A man's private thought can never be a lie; what he thinks, is to him the truth, always. Mark Twain
9. Happy people are grateful. [Read more here.]
Read more at our last blog post Couldn't Be Happier.
