I just finished reading this great blog which got me thinking about the subject of happiness. It seems like so many people I know are struggling to "become" happy. I've noticed in myself and others there always seems to be some future event that will make us happy - a better job, money, a new boyfriend/girlfriend, living in another city, breast implants, a new car - the list goes on and on.
The state of happiness seems to be dependent on these events, not just happening, but happening in exactly the way we have it set in our minds. The lack of achieving these things is blamed for our unhappiness and the inevitable impediments to achieving our desires causes anxiety and depression which drain us of the very energy and enthusiasm we need to achieve these goals. Eventually the state of unhappiness turns into an excuse for self-destructive behavior as we find that being depressed about not having the life we want is much easier than actually taking the steps necessary to achieve it.
Even if by some chance one does achieve what they believe will make them happy, the joy often wears off very quickly and the person will simply think of something else that they don't have, but must get in order to find happiness. This seems to be the state of many, maybe most people today. We live in a society where cynicism is chic. If you are a happy person you sometimes even run the risk of being looked upon as fake, shallow, or even deceitful. It's difficult for many to believe that a person can actually be happy unless they are in a constant state of getting and achieving goals that are nearly impossible.
We all have had days when we wake up in a bad mood and everything seems to go wrong the whole day. Other days when we are feeling good our days seem to go smoothly with pleasant surprises. There are many psychological and spiritual principles which point to the same basic theme - a positive attitude results in good things happening to us. A negative attitude will result in negative things happening to us. There are several different explanations as to why this is true, but whatever the reason, I am convinced that this is true.
It's difficult to tell someone in deep distress about this principle. Sometimes our anger or depression have engulfed us to such an extent that "snapping out of it" isn't an option. Changing one's attitude is a constant process of evolving, not an instant fix to our perceived problems. When results aren't instantaneous, many will tell themselves that all this talk about positive thinking is nothing but mumbo jumbo or new age b.s. This is an instant gratification society and we all want our happiness to come like a bolt of lightning. A person will come in and sweep us off our feet, our winning lottery ticket will change our lives, a new hairstyle and wardrobe will make us the envy of others. When such goals seem totally out-of-reach one might turn to alcohol, drugs, food, or any other number of methods to feel better. But these solutions are like treating a tumor with a band-aid.
The unhappiness comes back and will keep coming back until we discover that happiness isn't something we achieve, it's a feeling which comes from within. It isn't dependent on something external. Instead it is something we learn to feel. Lasting happiness doesn't come from doing what we perceive others expect of us, nor does it come from impressing others. It comes from changing your attitude about what makes you happy. One has to learn to be happy right now, no matter what your life situation is. Most of the time the situations, or lack thereof, which we believe are preventing us from feeling happy are not nearly as important as we think they are. We've simply convinced ourselves that our problems control how we feel.
The irony is that if we didn't spend so much of our time focusing on how miserable and unhappy we were, that energy and time would be directed towards the things we believe we want in life and most likely we could achieve them. At the very least we would get much farther in getting what we want while happy than we would spending our time wallowing in unhappiness.
I'm not saying that this is always easy. It is a process one has to work on constantly. And many of us have varying levels of chemical issues which create even more of a challenge. But it has been proven that having a negative attitude actually inhibits the happy chemicals, while having a positive attitude promotes a healthy brain chemistry.
It may be difficult to start changing the way one thinks, but the more is worked on the easier it gets. Sometimes one has to pretend to be happy, even if they aren't feeling it. It might even feel like brainwashing, but if inundating oneself with "happiness" propaganda is what it takes then just do it. Life is far better when you're happy than when you're not. And contrary to common belief, being happy is not going to turn you into a lazy person who is content with just sitting on the couch all day basking in their state of bliss. A happy person is one who is motivated and has the energy to live life to its fullest potential while creating an enjoyable environment for all those around them.
Thursday, June 4, 2009
My New Phone
I've never been the type of person who has to be the first one to get the latest gadget. It seems to me that when things first come out they are over-priced and still have problems which need to be worked out. I was one of the last ones in my group of friends to get a cell phone. I can still remember the days when people used to swear they'd never get one - that they were a waste of money, a deterrent to good communication and a sign of the end of civilized society. Well, few of those people have lived up to that vow. It's practically become a necessity now if you want to be a fully functioning member of society.
So, after a series of phones over the years, each one a slight upgrade from the last, I decided to splurge and get one of Google's G1 phones. Remembering my frustration in learning how to use my first cell phone, I kept it in the box for about two weeks before finally retiring my old Motorola and cranking up this intimidating piece of technological sorcery.
Since I'm a Mac fanatic, I had originally wanted an iPhone, but my cell service had a deal on the G1 that I couldn't pass up. It was Macintosh which first got me to view the computer as something more than a futuristic mental torture device. The intuitive ease of use with an Apple made work feel fun instead of boring.
So my fear was that the G1 was going to be an instrument designed by some left brained techno genius who assumes the rest of the world also thinks in computer coding language all day long. To my surprise, the phone turned out to be amazingly easy to learn. There was no 10,000 page manual with mind-numbing tutorials. Just a simple little booklet pointing out all the fun features that can be used.
Now with an instrument I can fit in my pocket I am able to make phone calls, send messages and IM, surf the internet, watch YouTube, download and play music, access maps to just about everywhere, check my email, tell time, scan bar codes to compare prices, shoot videos, do photography, record audio, get up to the minute news updates, check the temperature and weather, check the lunar calendar and much more. There's a list of available apps that I couldn't even find time to go through and most all of them are free. Hell, I'm starting to wonder if it can floss my teeth and cook me dinner too.
Today as I was exploring this phone I began to wonder what my fear and loathing about cell phones and technology in general was all about. I don't see people communicating less because of new technology, I see them communicating more. Information is accessible to anyone with an internet connection. What was so good about the days when we were kept in the dark and ignorant? Those were the days when only the largest of corporations could afford to send their messages to the masses. Now anyone who can type or talk can do it. Sure, much of what is being put out onto the internet may be considered junk by most. But who is qualified to judge that? Would we rather go back to a handful of wealthy media outlets deciding what is true or qualifies as good enough to have a voice? There may seem to be an overwhelming amount of information coming at us, but the human species is resilient and strong. We're becoming more educated and we will adapt to change.
Change is frightening, but it is also exciting. Without change we will stagnate or go backward. It's understandable that many people long for a simpler time when one didn't have to deal with all this confusing technology. But do we really want to go back to those days or are we just idealizing them? Does anyone really want to go back to living in a world where diseases, bigotry, stifling social customs, child sweat shops, and dictatorships were the norm? Certainly technology has its own dangers. I wouldn't want to live in the world portrayed in The Matrix either. But there have always been naysayers with every development. When the printing press first came out there were people who really believed it would be the downfall of civilization. That seems ridiculous to us now, but I have a feeling that one day they are going to look back at us and think how silly we are spending so much time and energy trying to avoid progress. One can complain till their last breath about the evils of all this technology, but it's not going to stop it. All that will be accomplished is the one doing the complaining is going to be left behind and find themselves in an ever-shrinking world.
A few years ago I never would have dreamt I'd be writing these words. Some days I even wished I were Amish. A horse carriage and a hammer I could understand, but the intricacies of trouble shooting computers seemed an impossible task. I grew up watching the original Star Trek and thinking how cool it would be to have one of those flip-top communicators. But my feeling was that it would be several hundred years before we saw such things in common use. Well, that time is here now. These new innovations are neither good or bad in themselves. They are simply tools which can be used for any purpose we choose. Instead of fearing them, why not take advantage of them and build a better world? We needn't feel at the mercy of these wonders. Instead, we need to take control and use them accomplish whatever it is we desire. My life has only gotten better by all this and far from being frightening, it seems to become easier each year to learn all these new innovations. I'd be interested in hearing other thoughts on this subject so please feel free to comment.
So, after a series of phones over the years, each one a slight upgrade from the last, I decided to splurge and get one of Google's G1 phones. Remembering my frustration in learning how to use my first cell phone, I kept it in the box for about two weeks before finally retiring my old Motorola and cranking up this intimidating piece of technological sorcery.
Since I'm a Mac fanatic, I had originally wanted an iPhone, but my cell service had a deal on the G1 that I couldn't pass up. It was Macintosh which first got me to view the computer as something more than a futuristic mental torture device. The intuitive ease of use with an Apple made work feel fun instead of boring.
So my fear was that the G1 was going to be an instrument designed by some left brained techno genius who assumes the rest of the world also thinks in computer coding language all day long. To my surprise, the phone turned out to be amazingly easy to learn. There was no 10,000 page manual with mind-numbing tutorials. Just a simple little booklet pointing out all the fun features that can be used.
Now with an instrument I can fit in my pocket I am able to make phone calls, send messages and IM, surf the internet, watch YouTube, download and play music, access maps to just about everywhere, check my email, tell time, scan bar codes to compare prices, shoot videos, do photography, record audio, get up to the minute news updates, check the temperature and weather, check the lunar calendar and much more. There's a list of available apps that I couldn't even find time to go through and most all of them are free. Hell, I'm starting to wonder if it can floss my teeth and cook me dinner too.
Today as I was exploring this phone I began to wonder what my fear and loathing about cell phones and technology in general was all about. I don't see people communicating less because of new technology, I see them communicating more. Information is accessible to anyone with an internet connection. What was so good about the days when we were kept in the dark and ignorant? Those were the days when only the largest of corporations could afford to send their messages to the masses. Now anyone who can type or talk can do it. Sure, much of what is being put out onto the internet may be considered junk by most. But who is qualified to judge that? Would we rather go back to a handful of wealthy media outlets deciding what is true or qualifies as good enough to have a voice? There may seem to be an overwhelming amount of information coming at us, but the human species is resilient and strong. We're becoming more educated and we will adapt to change.
Change is frightening, but it is also exciting. Without change we will stagnate or go backward. It's understandable that many people long for a simpler time when one didn't have to deal with all this confusing technology. But do we really want to go back to those days or are we just idealizing them? Does anyone really want to go back to living in a world where diseases, bigotry, stifling social customs, child sweat shops, and dictatorships were the norm? Certainly technology has its own dangers. I wouldn't want to live in the world portrayed in The Matrix either. But there have always been naysayers with every development. When the printing press first came out there were people who really believed it would be the downfall of civilization. That seems ridiculous to us now, but I have a feeling that one day they are going to look back at us and think how silly we are spending so much time and energy trying to avoid progress. One can complain till their last breath about the evils of all this technology, but it's not going to stop it. All that will be accomplished is the one doing the complaining is going to be left behind and find themselves in an ever-shrinking world.
A few years ago I never would have dreamt I'd be writing these words. Some days I even wished I were Amish. A horse carriage and a hammer I could understand, but the intricacies of trouble shooting computers seemed an impossible task. I grew up watching the original Star Trek and thinking how cool it would be to have one of those flip-top communicators. But my feeling was that it would be several hundred years before we saw such things in common use. Well, that time is here now. These new innovations are neither good or bad in themselves. They are simply tools which can be used for any purpose we choose. Instead of fearing them, why not take advantage of them and build a better world? We needn't feel at the mercy of these wonders. Instead, we need to take control and use them accomplish whatever it is we desire. My life has only gotten better by all this and far from being frightening, it seems to become easier each year to learn all these new innovations. I'd be interested in hearing other thoughts on this subject so please feel free to comment.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
