A Playbook for Change

A Playbook for Change   

Moving Toward a Path to Happiness

Albert Einstein tells us: “We can’t solve today’s problems at the same level of thinking as when we created them.” Hence, if we change our thinking we can solve our problems. But what if we didn’t create the problem to begin with? What if sinister cosmic forces thrust the problem on us and that’s what is making us unhappy?  What then? What can we do to keep on our path to finding and holding on to happiness? Well the first thing to do is to understand that solving problems or issues or circumstances are just a part of life. If we put our life’s journey toward happiness on hold to solve problems we’ll never get there.

In the book by Matthew Kelly entitled Perfectly Yourself, here’s what he says on the subject: “Unhappiness is the fruit of doing and saying things that contradict who we are and what we are here for. Unhappiness is not something that happens to us as if we’re poor little victims. Unhappiness is something we do to ourselves. You can choose to be happy – and never forget God wants you to be happy even more than you do yourself.” I suppose the next question we should ask is, even if we choose to be happy, what do we have to do to get to be happy? The answer of course, is it’s different for everybody.

It’s a combination of mindset, and faith that will propel us into the happiness zone. When we turn toward our own unique goals, the world will turn with us. It’s true that if we believe in where we are heading, the destination will move toward us too. Events, luck, serendipity will arrive on our journey to ensure we get to where we want to go. And consequently we get happy because happiness is the by-product of the journey, not the goal. The goal is to be the best version of ourselves and that’s what gives us confidence to continue to strive to improve. Eventually we get enthusiastic about our life and the outcomes we seek. Enthusiasm is confidence on steroids and as Ralph Waldo Emerson said: “Nothing great was ever accomplished without enthusiasm.” I agree.

Szenippet: Whatever we seek becomes easier to achieve when we continue to become better versions of ourselves. The more we grow, the more we know, and with knowledge comes the power to harness change on our behalf.

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