A goal

i always find that when i am busy with 100 things and constantly checking things off my to do list I am happy.
Human require a purpose. life for most us will near 80 years in length but it's important that it's 80 years in width as well.
one of my favourite saying saying states that one should "dream as if you'll live forever, live as if you'll die tomorrow."
It's vital to ones seem of self, self esteem and happiness to be growing and achieving regularly.
naturally achieving meaning different things to different people. whether it's through formal education, working, traveling or developing socially one must set goals to develop. learning should not stop when you finish schooling. life is a learning process and it's up to what you learn. so why not be proactive and decide who you want to be and learn to fit the dream inside your head. The goals can be small like always saying please and thank you or large like learning a language and traveling oversea.
whether big or small achieving these goals will bring a great sense of satisfaction and happiness,

AURORA

A code

In my research regarding happiness i have many people cite their religion or moral code for living as a source of happiness.
As an atheist i have no belief in the divine but i do have a code which i live by.
perhaps "living according to gods rule" or your own is a little proof to yourself that your on the right track. One of my favourite which i constantly evaluate myself by is the Christian saying "Do unto other as you would have done unto you."
whenever i reflect on a bad experience or difficult time i ask myself did i treat others as i would want to be treated. if the answer is yes then i have no regrets and can move on.

whether it's the bible, the koran or a code of your own making perhaps this holds the key to ones happiness and confidence in life.

AURORA

living well

I was told once that "The best revenge was living well" as i thought about the concept of living i realised this could be a factor in ones happiness,
when i think of living well i imagine a healthy, life reinforcing lifestyle that includes a healthy diet, regular exercise and at least 8 hours of sleep a night.
I think this concept has a level of merit. Scientist have proven that the endorphines released when you exercise make you feel happy and positive.
personally i've noticed a difference in mood depending on how well one eats.
And as for the sleep factor just look at the universal saying "you woke up on the wrong side of the bed." Most people have experienced the the short temper and negative thinking caused by a lack of sleep.
The living well principle is a simple and cost effective way to manage your mood and is probably the first thing you should try but the last one you think of.

AURORA

material world and happiness

I was speaking to friends about my blog and happiness and whilst most agreed that happiness was eluding members of the first world they disagreed that it had anything to do with materialism.

my friends assured me that having their lifestyle and material possession was a key part of being happy. Things such as dressing on the outside how you feel on the inside was a key argument. another was the sense of progressing in the world and achieving more than your parents did whilst maintain your heritage.

as i thought about it i could see the value of the argument. alot of the material things like decorating your home and how you dress everyday have alot to do with family friends and belonging. whilst they don't guarantee happiness and fulfillment they are important in regulating ones sense of identity.


The material is a visible and clear link to your family background, culture, personal interests and social grouping.

AURORA

more on happiness

i've been researching as many different cultural theories for happiness as i can get my hands on.
This week i discovered some philosophy's on happiness from the Buddhist faith. The Dalai Lama in fact wrote a book call "The art of Happiness".
Buddhist have identified that unhappiness is caused by unsatisfied desires or wants. so to become happy one has to either satisfy your wants or to not desire anything.

I found this very interesting because we live in such a consumerist society. there are always things to want in our culture...BMW's, designer clothes, celebrity endorsed sunglasses, Ipod's, world class appliances, waterfront homes..and the list goes on.
but is it possible for anyone to attain all these material possessions. Is it healthy to desire so many material thing?

I thought about how one would apply this theory. So often i would desire a material item believing it would make me happy and make my wardrobe complete and once i obtained the item i was happy but it was never long before the same feeling would return that my wardrobe would be perfect if i purchased another item. This is a cycle and the Buddhist theory does provide a solution...stop wanting.
difficult i know but perhaps wanting less would make us happier.

AURORA