I find that after my experience a few weeks ago, searching for happiness in all situations is what I need. Since moving into my apartment in February with no internet, I've been spending my weekend days at my parents to do homework. Initially I planned to go home Saturday night, but due to the time (12 o'clock) decided to stay and leave early in the morning. My mom wasn't feeling good and on her way to bed said I needed to call 911. I asked 'why' and told her to sit down. While on the phone she suddenly started snoring with eyes rolling and turning grey. At one moment she had no pulse and when she came to, didn't recognize me. She spent two nights at the hospital worried it was being on the gluten free diet only to find out the doctors were not worried about that. She was diagnosed with diabetes, but her blood pressure medicine was the cause of her passing out and having no pulse.
She still hasn't fully recovered. With new blood pressure medicine and changing her diet, she still has the same symptoms. At one point they said her kidneys were failing, but then said they were normal. We are now wondering if they are failing. Lesson learned: we will never go to this particular hospital due unmentioned circumstances from this experience and past ones. I did learn that God put me at the right place for this moment. Otherwise, she would not have made it and my dad would have come home to a worst case scenario. Every day we need to learn from those around us and cherish them while we have them.
The following are the laws/chapters and what I took away. They are not all laws, but also the main concepts of the book. For more detail and a deeper look, read this book. I highly recommend it.
The Laws of Happiness
"#1 Wired that when properly "turned on" we get happier.
#2 External circumstances don't inherent power to bring us happiness.
#3 Circumstantial happiness doesn't last.
#4 When pursing the things that don't have power to make us happy, we ignore the ones that do.
#5 Happy People Are Givers- One of the best happiness structures in life is giving to God, and giving to Him first.
#6 Giving past your emotional resources will not lead to happiness, but sometimes unhappiness.
-Where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.
-It is more blessed to give than receive.
#7 Happy People Are Not Lazy About Happiness
#8 Happy People Don't Wait For Someday- Today, this moment, is all there is or all there will ever be.
-Don't worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself.
#9 Living in the present will make your stress go down and your happiness go up.
- How are you doing in regards to enjoying each moment?/
-Is your obsession with a bank balance keeping you from enjoying life
#10 Happy People Pursue Goals- Intrinsic goals are the ones we follow and complete and that add meaning.
-How are you going to stretch yourself in the coming week past where you were before?
#11 Connected people do better in all aspects of life, especially in setting and reaching goals.
-Be prepared for sacrifice, but find sacrifice with love somewhere in it.
-Create SMART (specific, measureable, attainable, realistic, timely) goals similar to writing IEP goals for special education.
#12 Happy People Fully Engage
-Col. 3:23 Whatever you do, do it with your whole heart
#13 There is only one way to live life if you are to be happy: totally in, totally engaged.
#14 Happy People Connect- God has not constructed us to be fueled by accomplishments, but love.
#15 God made our brains to chemically respond in a positive way to support one another and respond negatively when we don't have to.
#16 Happy People Don't Compare Themselves- God made you unique, with your gifts and abilities, talents and horsepower. To compare yourself with anyone else is like comparing apples and oranges.
#17 While most women want a man with an actual job and provides, they don't care about external symbols of power.
#18 Happy People Think Well- Every single day, happy people are thinking thoughts that help them be happy and unhappy people do the opposite.
#19 Happy people are the ones who are happy even when there are flaws, missteps, and mistakes.
#20 Happy People Are Grateful
#21 Happy People Have Boundaries- Having boundaries means setting limits on what you will or won't allow into your life.
#22 People with good boundaries quickly address infractions don't put up with repeated patterns of hurtful or irresponsible behavior.
#23 Change yourself and the world changes around you.
#24 Boundaries not only protect you from evil, but protect the good things you are trying to build.
#25 Happy People Forgive- When you forgive others, you are the biggest beneficiary.
#26 Happy People Have a Calling- When we realize we are working for God, every task becomes significant and meaningful.
#27 Happy People Have Faith- Until you have a relationship with God, there is no connection, and you don't experience the benefits of the relationship.
#28 God is taking us somewhere, and tomorrow has a purpose today is part of.
-Why can't I be different?"
May you have the happiness God intended for you. Enjoy Spring!
