Sta.sh
The truth is that we can CHOOSE to be happy, no matter how bad our circumstances, but I know first-hand how hard that can be in the face of pain, fear and depression. But there are also things which can help nurture happiness.
Continuous pain and happiness are not very compatible, but I truly appreciate that which I have. I face depression, anxiety, and sometimes despair, but I also work daily to control those negative emotions. I cultivate DENIAL and loose myself in helping others, books, dreams, and DA. Sometimes reality can hit like a Tsunami—Such is life. I am no saint, by far.
As my body degraded, I lost the ability to do the things I loved to do, things that helped to define who I am, one by one, over the years. But when one door closes, another opens. The trick is in recognizing the next door to open, and to have the courage to open it.
Bad days can be good for you. How would you recognize a good day or special day, if you never had bad days or mediocre days. The more bad days you have, the more you will appreciate the good ones. Love is like that too, as is experiencing good and evil.
My life is so full of suffering that if I can get 1 minute of feeling good, I appreciate it fully and am grateful for it, like finding a diamond in the muck. I look for the small thing, like the sun falling across my dace, the sounds of kids laughing, my partner smiling, a great song, something beautiful.
Many people tie up their lives in pursuit of YOUTH, BEAUTY, WEALTH, POWER, FAME, RECOGNITION, CAREER, and SEX. Sometimes we loose contact with what is really important in life, as opposed to the massive amount of Detail we are constantly surrounded by and inundated with.
As my body and mind have degenerated, I have had to keep prioritizing things out of my life. There is no room for the thousands of things that distract people from truly living.
In this process, I discovered the seven most important things that will bring some measure of love, happiness, fulfillment, contentment and perhaps a bit of serenity into my life.
THE KEYS TO HAPPINESS, FULFILLMENT & CONTENTMENT
First is to nurture your connections with people, particularly with the people you care about the most.
Second, is to manifest some sort of creativity into your life.
Third, is to feel as if you are part of something, or feeling a sense of purpose or belonging.
Fourth, is to give-of-yourself to the benefit of those in need, with no expectation of return (like volunteer work).
Fifth, is to treat yourself and others with COMPASSION, UNDERSTANDING, RESPECT, HONESTY, FAIRNESS, TOLERANCE, and TRUSTWORTHINESS.
Sixth, is FORGIVENESS, to LET GO OF HATE, Prolonged Anger, Vengeance, and Retribution from your life.
Seventh, is to take nothing for granted, feel gratitude for that which you have in your life, and try to get the most enjoyment out of life that you can, while you are most able to do so.
For more detailed help, especially if your are depressed, please see:
A PATH TO HAPPINESS
POSITIVE CHANGES YOU CAN MAKE
Notice and focus on what you Love about your life, more than what you hate about your life. Notice and focus on what you Love about yourself, more than what you hate about yourself. Notice and focus on what you Love about people, more than what you hate about people. Notice and focus on what you have, more than what you do not have.ADDITIONAL THOUGHTS
Truly, the greatest gift you can ever give to yourself, is to give to others, of yourself, for the benefit of others, and without expectation of return. I highly recommend it. It can also return our humanity to us, if it is lost, and it can pull us out of ourselves and back in the world, when we are lost in despair inside up ourselves.
I takes courage to live, courage to love, courage to think for ourselves, courage to be happy and experience joy, courage to seek beauty and truth, courage to be a person of integrity and good character, courage to create, courage to overcome adversity and our many fears, courage to open our eyes and ears, courage to reach out and help other, or being willing to accepted it when you need it…The alternative is to not do those things and be like most people.
You can CHOOSE to look for beauty in the world around you, and come to recognize it in the most of amazing places. I can find great beauty in a muddy puddle of water, or in the old wrinkled naked body of a 90 year old person. I can look at a war ravaged landscape and see the beauty of single human spirit struggling to love and hope in a desert wasteland of humanity. The more difficult it is to find beauty, the harder you have to look, but it is there.
You can also CHOOSE to see the physical world around in terms of light, shadow, and billion of colors. You can choose to open your eyes and actually SEE the world around you, look at the world going by, instead of looking at your walking feet, or staring blankly ahead. Stop and focus on things and people to truly experience life and be a part of it. Use all of your senses.
Most of all, look in your mirror and see the great beauty in the person staring back at you, and be filled with the wonder of it all.
You do not know what life holds for you tomorrow. Instead of agonizing over tomorrow, get the most out of today. The future can be feared, or it can be seen as an exciting adventure.
Matthew
© Matthew Barry 1988, 1992, 2004, 2008, 2009, 2010, 2011 All Rights Reserved.
. I get worried about you when I don't hear from you in a while, so even if I see a recent post from you, even if it's not to me, I feel better 
love you and miss you! 
