"Finding Authentic Happiness in Life"

“Finding Authentic Happiness in Life”

How do you find authentic happiness in life?  Lynn Peters suggests perpetual gratefulness for people, relationships and activities that enrich your daily life is the best means of finding happiness.  She discourages the idea that happiness occurs when the circumstances of your life coalesce harmoniously thereby eliminating adversities and misfortunes.  Instead, Peters recommends “stop wishing for what we don’t have and start enjoying what we do have.”  Happiness is a choice.  This moment, you can begin to be happy for the rest of your life.  In Peters own words, happiness isn’t about what happens to us – it’s about how we perceive what happens to us.  It’s the knack of finding a positive for every negative, and viewing a setback as a challenge. If we can just stop wishing for what we don’t have, and start enjoying what we do have, our lives can be richer, more fulfilled – and happier.  The time to be happy is now.

Far too often, we determine whether we are happy in relation to our current situation.  With a stack of unpaid bills, ambiguity in parenting, and monotony in marriage due to household administration, how could a person be happy?    Peters ironically contends such a person can be exquisitely happy!  Whether he is or is not depends significantly upon how he perceives those circumstances.  If he perceives the proverbial glass of life is half empty, he remains unhappy as he focuses upon what he lacks.  In stark contrast, if he views his challenges as means of spiritual progress and personal growth, he offers thanksgiving and utilizes them to further his objectives.  He rejoices over these challenges as he knows they ultimately create even greater happiness.

More specifically, Peters recommends developing “the knack of finding a positive for every negative and viewing a setback as a challenge.”  The art of accentuating the positive and discarding the negative necessitates faithful practice.  As a child of the six and eleven o’clock news which operate with a cardinal principle, “If it bleeds, it leads,” I easily see tragedy, destruction and death on any day.  The news begins with rape, robbery, accidents and murder.  “Breaking news” interrupts people’s daily affairs to inform them of crimes in progress and other negative events.  Some people are so prepared to respond to misfortune that they do not know how to handle positive events.  It requires painstaking practice in redirecting your focus.  Peters encourages you to find a golden nugget embedded in the rubble of each unfortunate experience. 

Setbacks occur perhaps providentially to test the level of our commitment.  Do we deeply desire our heartfelt dreams as much as we suggest?  Conceivably, setbacks are God’s ways of testing our hearts to ascertain whether we have requisite faithfulness and perseverance to achieve our goals.  Setbacks equate with pit stops.  They allow a chance to pause and reassess priorities.  Setbacks offer time and space to recalibrate, refocus and refuel.  When we resume our journey, we will be more grateful and joyous as momentary setbacks encourage and empower us to “stagger forward rejoicing.”

Quintessentially, Peters equates immediate happiness with persistent gratitude for our lives as they are.  Resist the temptation to want more for its sake.  Gratitude creates joy and happiness as you appreciate what you have.  Delays for future happiness are futile.  Inability to be grateful for what you have means you will be unable to offer thanksgiving in the future.  Develop daily discipline of being thankful for each day.