The surest way to be unhappy is to pursue HAPPY! This quote from Henry David Thoreau sums it up: “Happiness is like a butterfly; the more you chase it, the more it will elude you, but if you turn your attention to other things, it will come and sit softly on your shoulder.”
This is the great paradox of happiness: The more you focus on it, pursue it, strive for it, and think about it, the more elusive it becomes, and the more frustrated your life becomes.
I have yet to meet someone who did not want to be happy. Most people are in hot pursuit of “happy,” or as a minimum, it is one of the top things they want for their children. Being Happy has consumed us so much that we tend to have tunnel vision and miss the very things that make us HAPPY!
We are told things like “Follow your Heart” or “Do what makes you Happy.” However, this advice sends us into a no-win cycle, a journey that has NO END. By following this advice YOU will NEVER find true happiness or peace. This will get you temporary rest stops on the road of life and will deceive you into believing you are on the right path, but it is a LIE!
Here is a simple formula to follow if you want to be happy, but I will warn you now before you read this, you might not like it.
If you truly want to be HAPPY in every area of your life then STOP pursuing what makes YOU “Happy” and START serving other people. See I told you – some of you are disappointed with this because it is not about you.
The trick to happiness is NEVER about YOU. The ONLY way to be consistently HAPPY is to STOP focusing on YOU!!!
We think happiness comes from what we have or get – things on the outside like a new car, home, husband, wife or promotion. Those things only create a stronger desire for more because they did not make us happy after all. Happy is on the INSIDE and comes when you are pursing something BIGGER than YOU.
When YOU become the center of your attention, it will ALWAYS lead to UNHAPPY!
Stop thinking about what would make YOU HAPPY and devote your life to helping and serving others.
Find Your Passion and You Will Find Your Life!