We All Want Happiness… Right?
But what are the chances of attaining something we don't fully understand?
Well, probably not too good. And in fact, all of us spend some portion if not major portions of our time and effort pursuing things that fail to even move us in the direction of what we truly want. There is no question that we can do better as the potential within each of us is vast and positive. So, how to bring it forth?
Following are two questions whose answers and explanations shed some light on what Assembling the Happiness Puzzle is all about and what we need to do to progressively bring the awesome greatness within us to the surface of our everyday existence.
1. Is there a universal definition of happiness?
2. Can anyone learn to be happy?
The answer to both is a resounding and joyful YES! The complete answer to these questions is beyond a one or two page explanation, but it’s a good place to start.
The Definition Of Happiness
The definition of happiness is covered throughout the book and discussed specifically in puzzle piece # 1. As with love and other more spiritual things, there isn't a "one thought and then you've got it" definition.
But for starters, below are 10 statements that we might call "fundamentals of happiness". The list should be helpful in gaining some understanding of happiness. Importantly, be sure to know that it isn't the final achievement of these and other things that is happiness. It is being on a constant and progressive path towards them that is happiness. It is very much a path, not a place. More a process done well than a destination arrived at (a life well lived). The implication and good news being that any of us can get "on path" or more on path than we are now at any time.
When we move towards happiness we learn to:
1. Center our motivations around contribution rather than selfishness and neediness (puzzle piece 13).
2. Do what is right because it is right, not to selfishly gain the approval of others (piece 11).
3. See other people as good regardless of their weaknesses and shortcomings (piece 4)
4. Become familiar with the concept of love and to bring it more frequently into our momentary existence (pieces 5 and 14).
5. Develop our skills and abilities and to overcome fear of failure and enjoy the challenge of expanding personal capability (piece 10).
6. Put our free will to work by understanding the thought – feeling – action – outcome sequence. Knowing that by changing our thoughts we change our life (piece 2).
7. Take responsibility for who we are and the outcomes in our lives. This is a struggle for many but AHP explains how to move away from blame and coercion which reflect the inability to be self-responsible (piece 3).
8. Learn that in addition to our biological and intellectual natures we also have a spiritual nature. And that it is in understanding, developing and accessing our spiritual nature that our potential for personal capability, love, wisdom, creativity, inner-peace, enthusiasm and all things powerful and positive are maximized.
9. Move steadily away from using our thoughts to shape reality to fit our preconceptions and towards using our thoughts to find truth and live in accordance with it (piece 6, 12 and others).
10. Know that within the day-to-day and moment-to-moment evolution towards becoming our most able, most contributing, and spiritual self (The 3 Pillars) everything we do becomes increasingly meaningful, purpose comes clear, and all other aspects of life greatly improve (piece 8 and others).
Most of us know the above things on some level. This isn't new information. The question is… Does this knowledge reside in a too uncommonly visited corner of one’s mind or do we increasingly bring these things forth into our momentary reality as a way of living? The truth of our human nature is that moving away from self-centered lower level or even hurtful thoughts and behaviors requires a willing effort, it is an endeavor unto itself as it doesn't occur merely by the fact that we are here (see section on willingness and self-honesty).
Is Happiness There For Everyone?
We all possess the raw material to become happy persons. It only makes sense that what is meant for us would be within our reach. But there is no question that our experiences, especially during our formative years have a huge effect on the persons we are at any point in time. But outside influences do not negate the potential for us to find the uniquely gifted, beautiful, capable, loving person that is within us. Our “highest self” is always there whether we choose to pursue it or not.
We have a free will that allows us to choose our thoughts and perceptions and therefore our feelings and actions. So if we have been raised to believe things that are highly distorted and false and therefore behave in ways that are destructive of ourselves and others, then it may require more effort to find what is best within us than if we have been raised in a more supportive environment. But given that happiness is a path not a place and given that it is a willful choice to get on this path or not, anyone at any “level” can begin the evolutionary process that is happiness at any time. It is the forward movement that counts. And often those with the most challenging problems and upbringings will gain the most the fastest because they have so much good reason to change and so little reason to continue what they are doing.
So yes, clearly happiness is there for anyone and everyone. But again, it requires a willful act to evolve one’s self and this willingness is amazingly uncommon. It is the author’s belief that many people, even those whose lives include much negativity and pain, hold on to the comfort level of the known because they just don’t know how to go about finding something better. And this is understandable given that our surrounding world offers far too few “inputs” that support and promote the tenets of happiness and far too many inputs that push in the wrong direction. But ultimately this is no excuse to align with weakness and negativity.
Assembling the Happiness Puzzle is just one offering that exposes falsity and promotes the worthy ideals that are the basis for a meaningful, purposeful, ever-evolving and therefore happy life. It is the design of AHP to be somewhat unique in that the approach is highly practical, fairly stepwise, comprehensive, and written in a simple style that is easy to read and easy to go back and reference. Additionally, it includes songs that act to reinforce uplifting messages and help us make the transition from acquiring new knowledge to integrating it into our momentary life.
In summary, for our benefit and for the benefit of others we should all be on a willful evolutionary path towards what is best within us. This is the path towards truth and it is the basis of a meaningful and happy life.
