Quest for Happiness: The Happiness Experiment

I have been thinking a lot about happiness recently. A number of things
have precipitated this - talking to a friend of mine about what he
wants out of life, helping another friend with his love life and
thinking about my own situation and future. It got me thinking on the
following questions:

* What is true happiness?
* To what degree is happiness important in our lives?
* Can we be happy at the expense of others?
* Can we sacrifice happiness for others?
* How can we attract more happiness in our lives?
* Is happiness linked with financial wealth?

I have come to the conclusion that yes, everyone needs to be happy.
Sure we can survive and live in an unhappy situation, but is this fair
on ourselves? I don't think it is. Can we change our circumstances to
make ourselves happier? Definitely - in some cases it may require a
lot of work, but it is achievable.

So what is the secret of happiness? I think that for each person it is
different. It all depends on the situation each of us is in, and how we
can change those situations. But I do believe that there is a common
thread through any situation, and that is starting by THINKING HAPPY.
We can begin by looking for small things that make us happy - a
favourite toy, a favourite chair, a favourite photo or picture, a
favourite place or even a person. Once we have this 'seed', we can
begin to grow the happiness.

Look for new things that make you happy. Keep it small to begin with.
Start exploring life. Too many of us are stuck in a rut, stuck with our
day to day routine so that we never really take the time to explore
what is right on our doorstep. You will be amazed what is in your
immediate vicinity if you take the time to look. Stop and smell the
flowers!

Recently I discovered that I REALLY like a new cola available here -
Coffee Cola. I found a park near my house with a really beautiful
grassy slope. I heard a beautiful piece of music by listening to a
radio station I hadn't really listened to before. Each of these
things makes me just a little happy, but all added together makes it
quite a big 'happiness'.

This is a beginning. Over the coming months we can explore this issue
together. We can help each other to grow our happiness by sharing what
we have found that makes us happy. Please feel free to leave a comment
on the site, telling us what makes you happy.

I found a couple of articles on the subject, which I have put up on the
site. You can find them on the left of the site page under 'Recent
Posts'. Let me know what you think.

Maybe we can work together to answer some of these questions, and other
questions you may have!

James
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James Smith is a motivational speaker, business consultant and
self-help guru based in China. For more information, for FREE articles
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