This morning as I was perusing my bookshelf, I came across a book I haven't thought about for awhile. Recommended by my aunt, Being Happy! (by Andrew Matthews) is a book I ordered online a few years ago when I was going through a particularly rough period. I can recall how I felt when reading it for the first time; all of the simple, yet so important, concepts really resonated with me in my time of unhappiness. Now that I am happier, I find that I have just as much appreciation (and need) for the insights in this book. Though I definitely recommended getting a copy, I'll highlight some of my favorite points here:
- Life changes when we change.
- All change will be met with resistance.
- The world is a reflection of ourselves.
- You decide your own self image.
- People treat us the way we treat ourselves.
- You deserve love and respect just because you are you.
- If you are serious about changing your life, be serious about changing what surrounds you.
- The present is all we've got.
- The easiest way to improve your mental state is to get involved. Participate!
- Positive thinkers gravitate toward their goals and what they want. Think positively.
- Don't dwell on what you don't have.
- Fearing loss is not living in the now.
- Every time we use the word "try," we indicate we are not in control.
- Using the words "I can't" undermines your personal power.
- No goals are achieved without setbacks.
- A problem is simply an opportunity to learn.
- The search for safety and security stifles our life force. Try new things.
- Winners take more risks than losers.
- We have a choice between living merely existing.
- Excuses are not compensation for not living the life you want to live.
- We can change our reality by changing our minds (from Plato).
- Love is about looking for the good in people.
- Work towards your goals but don't be imprisoned by them.
- If you want more peace of mind, eliminate expectations for the future.
- Let go of old things and embrace new ones.
- If you want to be happy, BE HAPPY!
Yup, this is a lot to take in on a Saturday morning, but all of it is very, very good advice. I could spend hours writing about all of the various ways these notions have affected or are affecting my life right now, but I'm going to focus on one thing I highlighted in the book: "Many people die at twenty-five and don't get buried until they are seventy." What the author means by this is that many people stop really truly living at some point; they stop being happy. Many people go about their lives not thinking about what they are doing or even considering the personal power they have over their own existence and state of mind. Here I am, twenty-five years old, and I'm 100% sure that I don't want to die right now. I don't want to live my life in a state that isn't a positive, present one. Every day we have a choice, so ask yourself, "Do I want to live or do I want to merely exist?"
Comments