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| How to Create Your Own Happiness |
How to Create Your Own Happiness
Who decides whether you shall be happy or unhappy? You do.
A television celebrity had as a guest on his program an aged man. And he was a rare old man indeed. His remarks were entirely unpremeditated.
They simply bubbled up out of a personality that was radiant and happy. And whenever he said anything, it was so naive, so apt, that the audience roared with laughter. They loved him. Impressed, the celebrity enjoyed the situation with the others. Finally he asked the old man why he was so happy. “You must have a wonderful secret of happiness,” he suggested.
“No,” replied the old man, “I haven’t any great secret. It’s just as plain as the nose on your face. When I get up in the morning I have two choices—to be happy or unhappy.
I just choose to be happy.”
It may appear that the old man’s remark was superficial, but I recall that Abraham Lincoln, whom nobody could accuse of being superficial, said that people are just about as happy as they make up their minds to be. You can be unhappy if you want to be. It is the easiest thing in the world to accomplish. Just choose unhappiness. Go around telling yourself that things aren’t going well, that nothing is satisfactory, and you can be quite sure of being unhappy. But say to yourself, “Things are going nicely. Life is good.
I choose happiness,” and you can be quite certain of having your choice. To become a happy person, have a clean soul, eyes that see romance in the commonplace, a child’s heart and spiritual simplicity.
Many of us manufacture our own unhappiness. Of course not all unhappiness is self-created, for social conditions are responsible for not a few of our woes. Yet, to a large extent, by our thoughts and attitudes we distill out of the ingredients of life either happiness or unhappiness for ourselves. Anyone who desires it, who wills it and who learns and applies the right formula may become a happy person.
If happiness is determined by our thoughts, it is necessary to drive off the thoughts which make for depression and discouragement. This can be done first by simply determining to do it, and second by utilizing an easily employed technique which I suggested to a businessman. This man’s principal trouble was in his depressed thought pattern. He needed an infusion of light and faith.
So rather boldly I said, “If you want to feel better and stop being miserable, I can give you something that will fix you up.”
“What can you do?” he snorted, “are you a miracle worker?”
“No,” I replied, “but I can put you in touch with a Miracle Worker who will drain off that unhappiness of yours and give you a new slant on life. I mean that,” I concluded as we separated.
Apparently this businessman became curious, for he got in touch with me later and I gave him a little book of mine called Thought Conditioners. It contains 40 health- and happiness-producing thoughts. Inasmuch as it is a pocket-sized booklet, I suggested that he carry it for easy consultation and that he drop one of the suggested thoughts in his mind every day for 40 days. I further suggested that he commit each thought to memory, and that he visualize this healthy thought sending a quieting and healing influence through his mind. I assured him that if he would follow this plan, these healthy thoughts would drive off the diseased thoughts that were sapping his joy, energy and creative ability.
He had his doubts, but he followed my directions. After about three weeks he called me on the telephone and shouted, “Boy, this sure works! It is wonderful. I have snapped out of it, and I wouldn’t have believed it possible.”
Tomorrow when you arise, say out loud three times this one sentence, “This is the day which the Lord hath made; we will rejoice and be glad in it” (Psalm 118:24). Only personalize it and say, “I will rejoice and be glad in it.” Repeat it in a strong, clear voice and with positive tone and emphasis.
While dressing or getting breakfast, say aloud a few such remarks as, “I believe I can successfully handle all problems that will arise today. I feel good physically, mentally and emotionally. It is wonderful to be alive. I am grateful for all that I have had, for all that I now have and for all that I shall have. Things aren’t going to fall apart.
God is here and He is with me and He will see me through. I thank God for every good thing.”
Throughout the day, base your actions and attitudes upon fundamental principles of happy living. One of the most simple and basic of such principles is that of human love and goodwill. It is amazing what happiness, a sincere expression of compassion and tenderness will induce. A genuinely happy man is a friend of mine, H. C. Mattern, who, with his equally happy wife, Mary, travels throughout the country. Mr. Mattern carries a unique business card on the reverse side of which is stated the philosophy that has brought happiness to him and his wife and to hundreds of others who have been so fortunate as to feel the impact of their personalities.
The card reads, “The way to happiness: keep your heart free from hate, your mind from worry. Live simply, expect little, give much. Fill your life with love. Scatter sunshine.
Forget self, think of others. Do as you would be done by. Try this for a week and you will be surprised.”
As you read these words you may say, “There is nothing new in that.” Indeed, there is something new in it if you have never tried it. When you start to practice it you will find it the most astonishing method of happy and successful living you have ever used. What is the value of having known these principles all your life if you have never made use of them? Such inefficiency in living is tragic. For a man to have lived in poverty when all the time right on his doorstep is gold indicates an unintelligent approach to life.
Of course in order to give power to these principles of happiness and make them work it is necessary to support them with a dynamic quality of mind. You are not likely to secure effective results even with spiritual principles without spiritual power. When one experiences a dynamic spiritual change inwardly, success with happiness-producing ideas becomes extraordinarily easy. If you begin to use spiritual principles, however awkwardly, you will gradually experience spiritual power inwardly. This will give you the greatest surge of happiness you have ever known. It will stay with you, too, as long as you live a God-centered life.
Who decides whether you shall be happy or unhappy? You do.
A television celebrity had as a guest on his program an aged man. And he was a rare old man indeed. His remarks were entirely unpremeditated.
They simply bubbled up out of a personality that was radiant and happy. And whenever he said anything, it was so naive, so apt, that the audience roared with laughter. They loved him. Impressed, the celebrity enjoyed the situation with the others. Finally he asked the old man why he was so happy. “You must have a wonderful secret of happiness,” he suggested.
“No,” replied the old man, “I haven’t any great secret. It’s just as plain as the nose on your face. When I get up in the morning I have two choices—to be happy or unhappy.
I just choose to be happy.”
It may appear that the old man’s remark was superficial, but I recall that Abraham Lincoln, whom nobody could accuse of being superficial, said that people are just about as happy as they make up their minds to be. You can be unhappy if you want to be. It is the easiest thing in the world to accomplish. Just choose unhappiness. Go around telling yourself that things aren’t going well, that nothing is satisfactory, and you can be quite sure of being unhappy. But say to yourself, “Things are going nicely. Life is good.
I choose happiness,” and you can be quite certain of having your choice. To become a happy person, have a clean soul, eyes that see romance in the commonplace, a child’s heart and spiritual simplicity.
Many of us manufacture our own unhappiness. Of course not all unhappiness is self-created, for social conditions are responsible for not a few of our woes. Yet, to a large extent, by our thoughts and attitudes we distill out of the ingredients of life either happiness or unhappiness for ourselves. Anyone who desires it, who wills it and who learns and applies the right formula may become a happy person.
If happiness is determined by our thoughts, it is necessary to drive off the thoughts which make for depression and discouragement. This can be done first by simply determining to do it, and second by utilizing an easily employed technique which I suggested to a businessman. This man’s principal trouble was in his depressed thought pattern. He needed an infusion of light and faith.
So rather boldly I said, “If you want to feel better and stop being miserable, I can give you something that will fix you up.”
“What can you do?” he snorted, “are you a miracle worker?”
“No,” I replied, “but I can put you in touch with a Miracle Worker who will drain off that unhappiness of yours and give you a new slant on life. I mean that,” I concluded as we separated.
Apparently this businessman became curious, for he got in touch with me later and I gave him a little book of mine called Thought Conditioners. It contains 40 health- and happiness-producing thoughts. Inasmuch as it is a pocket-sized booklet, I suggested that he carry it for easy consultation and that he drop one of the suggested thoughts in his mind every day for 40 days. I further suggested that he commit each thought to memory, and that he visualize this healthy thought sending a quieting and healing influence through his mind. I assured him that if he would follow this plan, these healthy thoughts would drive off the diseased thoughts that were sapping his joy, energy and creative ability.
He had his doubts, but he followed my directions. After about three weeks he called me on the telephone and shouted, “Boy, this sure works! It is wonderful. I have snapped out of it, and I wouldn’t have believed it possible.”
Tomorrow when you arise, say out loud three times this one sentence, “This is the day which the Lord hath made; we will rejoice and be glad in it” (Psalm 118:24). Only personalize it and say, “I will rejoice and be glad in it.” Repeat it in a strong, clear voice and with positive tone and emphasis.
While dressing or getting breakfast, say aloud a few such remarks as, “I believe I can successfully handle all problems that will arise today. I feel good physically, mentally and emotionally. It is wonderful to be alive. I am grateful for all that I have had, for all that I now have and for all that I shall have. Things aren’t going to fall apart.
God is here and He is with me and He will see me through. I thank God for every good thing.”
Throughout the day, base your actions and attitudes upon fundamental principles of happy living. One of the most simple and basic of such principles is that of human love and goodwill. It is amazing what happiness, a sincere expression of compassion and tenderness will induce. A genuinely happy man is a friend of mine, H. C. Mattern, who, with his equally happy wife, Mary, travels throughout the country. Mr. Mattern carries a unique business card on the reverse side of which is stated the philosophy that has brought happiness to him and his wife and to hundreds of others who have been so fortunate as to feel the impact of their personalities.
The card reads, “The way to happiness: keep your heart free from hate, your mind from worry. Live simply, expect little, give much. Fill your life with love. Scatter sunshine.
Forget self, think of others. Do as you would be done by. Try this for a week and you will be surprised.”
As you read these words you may say, “There is nothing new in that.” Indeed, there is something new in it if you have never tried it. When you start to practice it you will find it the most astonishing method of happy and successful living you have ever used. What is the value of having known these principles all your life if you have never made use of them? Such inefficiency in living is tragic. For a man to have lived in poverty when all the time right on his doorstep is gold indicates an unintelligent approach to life.
Of course in order to give power to these principles of happiness and make them work it is necessary to support them with a dynamic quality of mind. You are not likely to secure effective results even with spiritual principles without spiritual power. When one experiences a dynamic spiritual change inwardly, success with happiness-producing ideas becomes extraordinarily easy. If you begin to use spiritual principles, however awkwardly, you will gradually experience spiritual power inwardly. This will give you the greatest surge of happiness you have ever known. It will stay with you, too, as long as you live a God-centered life.
