masheduplife

[masheduplife]

The Equation For Happiness

My therapist told me last week to come up with a  list of things that would make me happy and start figuring out a list on how to get there. How to be happy: the tutorial. I didn’t realize that being happy was such an easy equation. This plus that equals happy? You could go with the scientific answer of the chemicals in the brain that produce happiness dopamine, oxytocin, serotonin, and endorphins. Then the emotional response would be close relationships, a great job or hobby that you love, and helping others. You hear the term often, “money can’t buy happiness” however, sometimes it stands to reason that people struggling financially may be able to become happier if they didn’t have as much financial stress throughout their life. 

Then there’s me.  My happy list, the tutorial to my happiness. 

My answer is, What even is happiness? How do you get to happy. Is there a way to be completely happy in every single aspect of your life, even through the struggle? Now I get that happiness is different to each person and what is happiness for one person may not be the answer for happiness for another however, is there something that gives off happiness across all walks of life? 

I found a list on marcandangel.com an article titled “10 Actions that Always Bring Happiness.” 

1. Appreciate what you have

2. Focus on things that truly matter

3. Define your own meaning of life, and pursue it. 

4. Embrace life’s challenges

5. Find the balance that allows you to be who you truly are

6 .Love your body enough to take care of it.

7. Limit your time with negative people. 

8. Treat others the way you want to be treated.

9. Set a good example.

10. Accept what is, and live for the possibilities that lie ahead. 

Is this it though? the equation to creating happiness “Fake it til you make it?” If you had one special thing in the equation on the answer to happiness, what is the one thing you can’t live without?

[masheduplife]

Bigger Sudoku Puzzle Picture?

After all of the day to day she felt empty. Through the middle of the day to day she felt nothing but distractions. Distractions from the bigger picture. She sat down and pondered the meaning of life as if it was a sudoku or logic puzzle in one of her books. What is the point of the medial day to day trivial things? Everything seems trivial. Why is the goal to get an education and work all day everyday at a job just to pay to live?

What’s the point? When everything comes back around to how to pay for this and how to do this, everything circulates around money. Why when you hear about someone getting into college or someone getting a new job or someone getting married isn’t the first and only question we ask, “Are you happy?” Also, why do we never take someone’s answer for what it is. As if we could never believe that someone’s answer to being happy would be, “Yes, I am.” The manifestations of everything being good and evil is preposterous. The naïve notion that one must have faith to be happy or bad things will happen and we will then go into the fiery depths of hell, how do you know what the logical path is and what is the “fake” path. The path that most everyone on this earth follows and leads into only to be heartbroken by faith in a person who is not even real. Why is it that we are taught to question everything except one man in the sky? Jesus. God. The Holy Spirit. It is as if I am saying something as forbidden as Lord Voldemort. Why can things of this nature not be discussed with something other than “faith.” What happened to curiosity and research? Is the catholic faith, Christianity, Judaism, Buddhism, Muslim, beyond research? I was born into a Roman Catholic family who when I was younger took their faith, like most other things, semi-seriously. Sunday Saints, if you will. Growing up, my parents let me go the way I wanted, and I never really had a foundation built other than my own innate foundation that was to question all things. So, to find answers, what or who do we rely on?  Everything is built on some random belief system that everyone falls prey to. Or is it all just one big pointless mess? Maybe I’m rambling. Well, let’s face it, I probably am. However, it’s something that I feel I must look into. The myths, the facts, the stories of it all. Of everything, the daily grind, the once in a blue moon stuff, everything. For myself, for my kids, and for my own wellbeing and peace of mind.