November/December 2001
Articles on the theme "Happiness"
Happiness in Troubled Times
by Charles Larsen
Happiness beore and after the events
of September 11.
Keys to Happiness
by Tracy Woolrich
How to become happy and healthy.
Asking for Happiness
by Dr. Audrey Craft Davis
Of setting goals, making plans
and dreaming dreams.
An Inside Job
by Nancy L. Buchanan
Happiness, a choice of how and what
we think.
An Elusive Butterfly?
by Ron Graham
How the mind needs to be congruent
with the heart.
The Pursuit of Happiness
by Rev. Susan R. Griffin
Allowing happiness to BE rather than
pursued, sought after or achieved.
Integrity: Path to Happiness
by Constance Felos, Esq.
An attorney's look at a new dispute
resolution model.
Choose Happiness
by Dr. Ruth E. Bradley
What the events of September 11 can
teach us about happiness.
The Freedom To Be Me
by AnneMarie Dyer
Finding happiness by being true to
oneself. Living one's dreams and being in the NOW.
The Source of True Happiness
by Rev. Pat Cross
The deeper meaning of joy and happiness...
our spiritual nature.
Other Feature Articles
Holistic Health Q & A
by Linda Nash Stevenson
Of acupuncture and Chinese Medicine,
stopping smoking, herbs and hot flashes.
What is... Feng Shui?
by Billie V. Odor
The origins of Feng Shui and an account
of how Black Hat Sect Feng Shui is practiced.
UNCOMMON SENSE ! - Terrorism
David Findlay
Minerals from Mother Earth
by Judy Power
Featured stones for November and December:
Bloodstone and Septarian.
Keys to Happiness
by Tracy Woolrich
The purpose of life is the expansion of happiness.
Maharishi Mahesh Yogi
How excited I was entering my office with the news of my article being accepted on September 11, 2001. By 9 A.M. I was unable to focus on my accomplishment as I watched the world events unfold. I figured that I should withdraw my article. Then I was reminded that, if it were not published, the terrorists would have accomplished yet one more thing. They would have silenced yet another spirit that wishes to speak to Peace, Love and endless Joy. With this being said I humbly offer you my article on happiness.
When I was in nursing school in1979 the focus was on the body, mind and (somewhat) the spirit but it was never taught "as a whole." The inner connection was never discussed. That all changed for me once I graduated school. Through my nursing experiences I have had many "teachers" in this classroom called life. My instructors were a 90-year-old, paralyzed widow that taught me about having a positive attitude and affirmations, and 32-year-old HIV+ man that taught me about unconditional love and gratitude. A homeless, 60-year-old vet taught me about forgiveness. They were all different as night and day but what they all had in common was that, despite what we would see as adversity, they were all genuinely happy. They were able to "bounce back" from illness quicker then others and were less likely to develop physical complications. They knew things I had not yet learned but wanted to.
Day by day and year by year I learn. I now know that man is the master gardener of his soul and the director of his life. This is true of his thoughts, spirit AND body. Those that focus on the positive are healthier (and certainly happier) then those that find fault and negativity in all they see. The body's health is a reflection of your mental health and often sickness is a result of unresolved inner conflicts. It IS NOT the absence of conflict, however, that keeps us healthy but rather our ability to perceive and cope with it. Let us now begin to work on perceiving ourselves as the happy healthy person that God created.
Happiness Patterns
Always think and speak positively about yourself and others. Consistently visualize your life as you want it to be. Use as much detail as you can in your visualizations. By doing this you create new happiness patterns. Remember your subconscious is responsible for allowing "history to repeat itself." Why not start new chapters with "happily ever after" at the end each time! Remember everything starts with a thought.
In the Nag Hammadi texts discovered in Egypt in 1945, Philip quotes Jesus as saying, "what you think and perceive to see you shall become." In other words focus on the positive happy things that surround you everyday. You ARE as God created you a happy healthy individual. It is our perception that creates the illusion of unhappiness, lack, and ill health.
Affirmations
Now verbalize your positive thoughts about yourself. Your subconscious likes to hear your voice. My elderly paralyzed patient had the same response for me every day when I came to see her. She used to say, "Everyday in every way I am getting better and better." Repetition is important, as reconstructing a long-standing belief system requires persistence and frequent repeating! "I am as God created me. Perfect in every way!"
Live NOW and Let Go
Jump feet first into life at every opportunity. Live in the NOW! While waiting for your goal to be realized, go take a yoga class! In doing so you demonstrate detachment from the outcome, allowing a "letting go" which accelerates your goal. Don't wait around to be happy! Do it now. Don't get stuck in the if-I-had-a-better-job or if-only-I-was-married-I would-be-happy frame of mind. This only blocks our happiness in the present. Remember what your grandmother told you: "A watched pot never boils." So go out and live your happy life while you wait for your "boiling pot."
Forgiveness
The decision to forgive yourself and others is a sign that you truly want to live in the present. It is always our choice whether we get on with our life and live in the now or chain ourselves to grudges of the past. Practice this everyday. Why raise your adrenaline and decrease your immunity when someone cuts you off in traffic? Your inability to "let it go" may not affect the other person but WILL affect your body for hours (if not longer). You are only hurting yourself. And remember that we need to forgive ourselves too, which is often harder then forgiving others. Guilt is a VERY harmful thing.
Gratitude
As we see ourselves as living abundantly and richly and recognize what we already have, we set up a flow of even greater things coming into our life. There is nothing lacking on this planet. It is the distribution system that has gone awry due to our illusions about lack. It is your fear of lack that has indeed kept some of you in lack. You must change your perception. Keep a gratitude journal and write in it every day. When you are feeling a little low a quick glance at this can nurture your spirit of gratitude no matter what! This works with children too. Even if they are too young to write, ask them everyday to tell you a couple of things that they are grateful for. You would be surprised! Some of the things that have come up in conversation with my son include his best friend, his grandmother, our ferret and God's rain.
Conclusion
Live life as our children do! Laugh long and hard. (I CANNOT emphasize laughter enough!) Be good to your friends. Be accepting and trusting. See the wonder of a butterfly and blow bubbles into the wind. As Abraham Lincoln once said: "Most people are about as happy as they want to be." Let us make up our minds to be happy and healthy together NOW!
Tracy Woolrich is a RN, intuitive healer, holistic health
practitioner and Reiki Master. Founder of 3T Reiki and Angel Essences Aromatherapy.
St. Petersburg FL (727) 560-9612. Reiki_Girl@webtv.net
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