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Get Your Weekly
Printed Edition
All Across America
View Happiness
By Dorothy Rieke
Julian, Nebraska
Most of us look forward to living many
years experiencing happiness and contentment. We hope to live the lives that we have dreamed of—lives that please and delight with simple pleasures.
In order to accomplish this, we record those pleasures in our lives and “replay” them frequently to lift our spirits and offer inspiration. Keeping those feelings of happiness foremost in our minds is primary.
Life is captured in moments ingrained in our memories, so we should make each moment count with acceptable actions that work toward our goals. Certain practices such as fairness, setting a good example, thankfulness, and others add perfection and satisfaction.
The following are life characteristics and practices that promote fulfillment of our hopes and dreams resulting in a long rewarding life filled with special moments:
1. Become involved in activities. Being challenged with mind-related or physical activities is an important part of remaining alert, informed, and in shape. Cater to your physical and mental needs, keeping them at the peak of performance. Be all that you can be in all respects.
2. Set a good example. Live a life that embraces fairness, sincerity, thoughtfulness and caring. Younger people, as well as adults, are impressed with those who have principles and stand up for what is right.
3. Be thankful. Life is to be enjoyed. Part of that enjoyment is accepting blessings with appreciation and gratitude.
4. Be fair to yourself and others. Demonstrate fairness in all that you do. This trait reveals your concern for others while demonstrating an impartial attitude and an absence of discrimination.
Set rules and guidelines for your life. Rules and guidelines assure that goals will be pursued according to plan. Goals bring orderliness to a life that yields gratification and fulfillment.
5. Avoid anger. Someone once said “Anger is like throwing stones at a bee hive; you may be surprised at what happens.” Bouts of anger imply no control, a situation usually resulting in regret and disappointments. Often an angered person loses friends, partners and others. No one likes to be caught in a web of uncontrolled anger.
6. Accept what you can not change; change what you can. Injustice raises red flags for nearly everyone. Work to accomplish your beliefs and convictions. Those things impossible to change or alter are best forgotten.
7. Live with self-discipline. Developing self- discipline means learning to say “no” to situations that might damage physically or mentally. Many decisions are made daily. Distinguish those that are beneficial from those that are harmful. Control your life with thought, intelligence and zeal.
8. Guard against negative thinking. It is easy to become discouraged always thinking the worst is to come. Financial problems, health concerns, and family troubles, at times, make life seem onerous and burdensome. Review life achievements, friendships and other assets. Gain control and see the good in your life and in the lives of others.
9. Work against self-pity. Feeling sorry for yourself is a solitary occupation which doesn’t impress or attract friends. Develop self-assurance based on your past accomplishments and accentuate the positive aspects of your life.
10. Just as other worthwhile pursuits, a life lived according to certain planned guidelines results in creating a life which impresses and influences others as well as being as acceptable and pleasing to you.