Happiness

I have been thinking about happiness a lot lately.  Because my life has definitely not turned out how I wanted or hoped, at all.  And let's be real, I have been really unhappy because of that at times.  However the other day, I was walking to my car after going to wal-mart, (not the most glamorous place to have an epiphany, but I'm not complaining) and I was thinking about all the wonderful things in my life.  I am so lucky to be here in alpine, ut with my aunt.  I have my own room and bathroom and I feel so loved and welcome here.  What a great safe place for me to get myself back on my feet.  I have a good supporting family, (not perfect, mind you, but neither am I, so it totally works) and incredible friends.  I have the things that I need, and most importantly I know that heavenly father knows who i am and is incredibly mindful of what I need.  I also have the peace of mind that I have done my best in everything and while I am not perfect, I can be happy with who I am and who I am becoming.  So, there in that dirty wal-mart parking lot I realized that cliche saying about happiness is cliche for a reason.  You know the one..  "Happiness is not having what you want, but wanting what you have."

I also feel that happiness is more than just a feeling. It is a way of living. It is a state of mind, it is a conscious choice. I am reminded of Elder Wirthlin's word from his general conference talk, "come what may and love it.".

"How can we love days that are filled with sorrow? We can’t—at least not in the moment. I don’t think my mother was suggesting that we suppress discouragement or deny the reality of pain. I don’t think she was suggesting that we smother unpleasant truths beneath a cloak of pretended happiness. But I do believe that the way we react to adversity can be a major factor in how happy and successful we can be in life.

If we approach adversities wisely, our hardest times can be times of greatest growth, which in turn can lead toward times of greatest happiness."

So how do you do it? How do you approach adversities in a way that leads you to greater happinesses ahead? I think way too much about doings things right, and I turn myself inside out when things don't go the way I think they "should" and this makes me miserable. A couple days I found this to be exactly where I was, and I called my mom crying, "I don't understand, mom. I am trying so hard to be happy." Her response to me? "Just be, Natalie. Happiness will come.". Which reminds me of yet another quote.



“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…”– Thoreau

I also think being happy has a lot to do with acceptance and gratitude. It requires faith, humility and hope. It necessitates an eye for the simple, beautiful, and wonderful. Happy people do not quickly take offense, they do not become hardened by hard things. Instead, they see the positive, they look for the silver lining, they keep themselves busy with the promise of a brighter tomorrow.

Happiness in life requires that you take care of yourself. Who, like me, finds themselves aft a full busy wonderful day getting really sad and worried, only to realize that you just need some food and some sleep. Everything usually does look better with a sunrise.

While thinking about happiness, I found a book called, "The Happiness Project" by Gretchen Rubin, she also has a blog titled the same thing. I really like it. You might too. Here's a link to her blog. /