by Cindy Abbate

Created on: August 28, 2011

People, as a whole, seek happiness in their lives.  Some people find it for greater periods of time and recover it faster after being bucked off the horse.  Others strive for it all their lives and always seem to come up a little short of their goal.

Are there answers to finding an inner peace and contentment?  Happiness is an inner state which is influenced by environmental surroundings but not entirely dictated by them.  An individual can adopt ways of thinking and processing information which will lead them to longer periods of feeling happy with themselves and life in general. 

Letting things go

Bad things happen to everyone.  If unpleasant incidents and the negative feelings associated with them are allowed to flow away from a person’s mental condition they don’t have the opportunity to fester into a more permanent state of mind.  When a person embraces the feelings brought on by negative events they may, although perhaps unwittingly, be allowing those emotions to define them.  It is important to move forward.

Acceptance

There are some things humans simply can’t control.  These can range from the rejection of love advances to the health of a cherished relative.  Sometimes individuals are powerless to change the course of events.  Finding a positive way to deal with the situation can ease away the pain.  A sick relative may enjoy being read to and perhaps a hobby can be found to take one’s mind off unreturned love.  There are some unavoidable things that bring sadness into one’s life.  While some may require a time of grieving it’s up to the individual to accept the event and move forward.  In doing so, although perhaps difficult at first, happiness will be easier to find.

Stay Active

Exercise, regardless of its form, releases endorphins into the body, increases the production of antibodies and lowers the production of cortisol.  Endorphins act as natural pain reducers.  They set on receptors in the brain which normally send out signals telling the body it hurts.  They can induce a type of natural high.  Antibodies fight off disease and can aid in the overall battle for the body to remain healthy.  Cortisol is a hormone produced under stress and can, when unchecked, inflame and damage organs.  Exercise also helps lower blood pressure, increase endurance, heightens mental awareness and improves physical appearance. It is well worth putting a daily moderate workout into one’s schedule.

Keep Learning

It’s important to stay open to new ideas and concepts.  It’s easy to shut down and decide that one is through with exploring new things.  A community college course, learning a new language or exploring a new hobby are all examples of pushing forward instead of running in place.  Engaging in worthwhile and mentally stimulating things helps keep one’s mental balance and improves their general outlook on life and themselves.

Volunteer

Helping others tends to make one appreciate what they have and improve their self image.  By reaching out a helping hand a person is also pulling themselves up by their mental bootstraps.  Easing another’s suffering will give one a sense of accomplishment and community.  Besides it’s a good way to make friends and establish contacts.

All of the above will give a person a sense of well-being, accomplishment and empowerment.  Happiness is a state of mind and sometimes it’s up to the individual to allow it to take hold.

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