I recently led several classes using the book "The Happiness Project" as one of my references. In a previous posting, I shared with you how much I enjoyed this little book.In the classes I asked the group: Do you want to be happy? This seems like a no brainer with an obvious answer - but I don't think so. The question might be more clear if we asked: Do you want to be happy......enough to do something about it?
Gretchen Rubin, in her Happiness book, gives tons of ideas for helping us get and stay happy.
One is to embrace the concept that, at times, in order to be happy, we must be accommodating. She quotes Jerry Seinfeld who said, "There's no such thing as 'Fun for the whole family.'" Being with family - and even friends - requires accommodation. Some people, even though we love them, tend to get on our nerves. But the truth is, making other folks happy makes us happy.
Another concept is that happy, positive people get on other folks nerves. I could see myself on both sides of the truth Rubin tells below.
We nonjoyous types suck energy and cheer from the joyous ones; we rely on them to buoy us with their good spirit and to cushion our agitation and anxiety. At the same time, we're sometimes provoked to try to shake the enthusiastic, cherry folk out the their fog of illusion - to make them see that the play was stupid, the money was wasted, the meeting was pointless. Instead of sharing their joy, we blast it.
She shares this prayer attributed to Saint Augustine. He must have known the sting of trying to be joyous in a negative world.
Tend your sick ones, O Lord Jesus Christ;
rest your weary ones, bless your dying ones,
sooth your suffering ones; pity your afflicted ones;
shield your joyous ones.
And all for your love's sake.
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