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Faith411.com - Happiness |
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Vital information and articles related to happiness.Happiness
What is happiness? If we mean by it a state of fulfillment, when everything is going our way, in terms of results as well as efforts (which requires a providential combination of pluck and luck), then it cannot simply be willed; it is partly, if not largely, a gift of fate. Having said this, even this sort of happiness is a product of positive thinking and positive action, with good fortune lending a helping hand. In short, it is a product of will in relatively favorable circumstances. But isn't it peculiar to imply that happiness can be of one sort or another? Are there not simply happiness and unhappiness? I think not. The sort of happiness that the sage talks about is compatible with misfortune. It is preeminently a doing from within - while without, the only prerequisite for it is that the sage be alive and capable of thought. It is a feeling of serenity, of being at peace with his situation and his conscience, as a well-adjusted and fully committed servant of life, of humanity, of God as he sees them. However conscious he is of the subjectiveness - i.e., the individual limitations and hence the imperfection - of his view, he does live by it with utmost faithfulness, if also with a willingness to reevaluate it critically when he catches himself out in a misstep. His wisdom is forever a work in progress; it is always laced with some form of foolishness, which leaves him open to ridicule. Humility and compassion, plus humor are therefore qualities that he cultivates. He mocks and forgives himself, and above all strives to improve. He shows no complacency, but an acceptance of his humanness that he is intent on bringing to the highest possible degree of truth and nobility. And this delicate blend of resignation and struggle alone - in any situation, favorable or not - is indeed the secret of his happiness, which admittedly is a dry manner of joy that fills the mind rather than the heart. It follows that this happiness leaves something to be desired: happiness in the fullest sense of the word (a state of fulfillment, when everything is going our way, in terms of results as well as efforts), which is a joy, ever so sweet, that fills both the mind and the heart. When the sage experiences this supreme happiness, he rightly feels blessed, and knows how precarious it is. Furthermore, he accepts this precariousness, or the fact that suffering and ultimately death loom ahead. Only battles are won in the war of life that will inevitably - despite every valiant effort to prevail - end in defeat. Some will say that happiness in its so-called fullest sense leaves something more to be desired: the power to make this happiness infinite: immeasurably great and unlimited in duration. Among them, some will choose the path of faith, which allegedly leads to a heavenly afterlife, whereas some will choose the path of reason, which admits of no rosy belief based on wishful thinking and unbridled trust. This path leads nowhere as far as the beyond is concerned, or rather somewhere that is unknown - presumably so different from what is known that it totally exceeds our ability to conceive of its nature. I count among these proponents of reason, these infidels, to whom the only source of meaning is not a paradisiacal destination, whose existence is supported by no credible evidence, but the journey itself, a rugged and uphill journey to be sure, with an abundance of twists and turns, some of which are propitious, others not. This journey is well worth the trouble, in my opinion. It is so independently of the above-mentioned destination, which people are free to pursue blindly or regard with skepticism (and with detachment to boot, in the best case scenario). It is all about the dignity of living and loving and the pleasure of succeeding in these difficult assignments. From this perspective, the purpose of life is none other than life itself, in partnership with our fellow creatures; and happiness is made possible - within certain limits - by our striving to achieve this worthy, albeit humble purpose. The limits imposed upon worldly happiness may initially stick in our craw, but after due consideration, as we realize that life without these limits would be death, we accept them, and better still we welcome them. Life is by definition a dynamic state that presupposes a perpetual tension between desires and their satisfaction. Render this satisfaction absolute, you resolve this tension and consequently reduce life to nothing; i.e., something as inert as a stone. And this nothing - this inert something - is death, as I just pointed out. Not a brilliant prospect in the eyes of a life lover! Laurent Grenier's writing career spans over twenty years. During this time he has broadened and deepened his worldview, by dint of much reflection and study, and in the end has crafted "A Reason for Living," his best work to date. Official web site: http://laurentgrenier.com/ARFL.html
MORE RESOURCES: table border=0 width= valign=top cellpadding=2 cellspacing=7trtd valign=top class=jfont style=font-size:85%;font-family:arial,sans-serifbrdiv style=padding-top:0.8em;img alt= height=1 width=1/divdiv class=lha href=http://news.google.com/news/url?sa=Tct=us/0-0fd=Rurl=http://www.theglobeandmail.com/servlet/story/LAC.20081013.COLETTERS13-14/TPStory/Commentcid=0ei=gDHzSM_vPJPK8ASx9v2DAQusg=AFQjCNHu6d5slJDJd090bxeTa2JSav8L6AbHappiness/b is a warm remote/abrfont size=-1font color=#6f6f6fGlobe and Mail,nbsp;Canadanbsp;-/font nobr3 hours ago/nobr/fontbrfont size=-1Toronto -- In Reflections On The Big Owe Of #39;08 (Oct. 11), one of your interviewees says quot;... you aren#39;t any happier when you get that big-screen TV. b.../b/font/div/font/td/tr/table table border=0 width= valign=top cellpadding=2 cellspacing=7trtd width=80 align=center valign=topfont style=font-size:85%;font-family:arial,sans-serifa href=http://news.google.com/news/url?sa=Tct=us/1i-0fd=Rurl=http://www.sun-sentinel.com/sports/sfl-flspmikec12sboct12,0,6566398.columncid=1256193832ei=gDHzSM_vPJPK8ASx9v2DAQusg=AFQjCNEGbmVapymcSogIb3MNf9Fz7HVB7Aimg src=http://news.google.com/news?imgefp=FgZ8DEq5snwJimgurl=www.sun-sentinel.com/media/photo/2008-10/42858377.jpg width=80 height=60 alt= border=1brfont size=-2Sun-Sentinel.com/font/a/font/tdtd valign=top class=jfont style=font-size:85%;font-family:arial,sans-serifbrdiv style=padding-top:0.8em;img alt= height=1 width=1/divdiv class=lha href=http://news.google.com/news/url?sa=Tct=us/1-0fd=Rurl=http://www.sun-sentinel.com/sports/sfl-flspmikec12sboct12,0,6566398.columncid=1256193832ei=gDHzSM_vPJPK8ASx9v2DAQusg=AFQjCNEGbmVapymcSogIb3MNf9Fz7HVB7AbHappiness/b shows how far UM has fallen/abrfont size=-1font color=#6f6f6fSun-Sentinel.com,nbsp;FLnbsp;-/font nobr16 hours ago/nobr/fontbrfont size=-1University of Miami quarterback Jacory Harris is hoisted into the air by teammate Orlando Franklin after scoring a two point conversion against the b.../b/font/div/font/td/tr/table table border=0 width= valign=top cellpadding=2 cellspacing=7trtd valign=top class=jfont style=font-size:85%;font-family:arial,sans-serifbrdiv style=padding-top:0.8em;img alt= height=1 width=1/divdiv class=lha href=http://news.google.com/news/url?sa=Tct=us/2-0fd=Rurl=http://www.dailytimes.com.pk/default.asp%3Fpage%3D2008%255C10%255C13%255Cstory_13-10-2008_pg12_10cid=0ei=gDHzSM_vPJPK8ASx9v2DAQusg=AFQjCNHXEszB4US40J_ldIjYBmQuCUrNxQRoad to bHappiness/b: Paintings by Harianawalla/abrfont size=-1font color=#6f6f6fDaily Times,nbsp;Pakistannbsp;-/font nobr13 hours ago/nobr/fontbrfont size=-1The series titled ‘The Road to bHappiness/b’ comprises paintings glazed with coats of nonchalance that give off a feeling of lightheartedness, as if there is b.../b/font/div/font/td/tr/table table border=0 width= valign=top cellpadding=2 cellspacing=7trtd width=80 align=center valign=topfont style=font-size:85%;font-family:arial,sans-serifa href=http://news.google.com/news/url?sa=Tct=us/3i-0fd=Rurl=http://www.themedguru.com/articles/parenting_kids_to_health_and_happiness-86113965.htmlcid=1256754914ei=gDHzSM_vPJPK8ASx9v2DAQusg=AFQjCNHyXkOoeKuWKmQw7Y6K5TdTpJ6ohQimg src=http://news.google.com/news?imgefp=td-9an55dX8Jimgurl=www.themedguru.com/files/parenting.jpg width=80 height=53 alt= border=1brfont size=-2TheMedGuru/font/a/font/tdtd valign=top class=jfont style=font-size:85%;font-family:arial,sans-serifbrdiv style=padding-top:0.8em;img alt= height=1 width=1/divdiv class=lha href=http://news.google.com/news/url?sa=Tct=us/3-0fd=Rurl=http://www.themedguru.com/articles/parenting_kids_to_health_and_happiness-86113965.htmlcid=1256754914ei=gDHzSM_vPJPK8ASx9v2DAQusg=AFQjCNHyXkOoeKuWKmQw7Y6K5TdTpJ6ohQParenting kids to health and bhappiness/b/abrfont size=-1font color=#6f6f6fTheMedGuru,nbsp;Indianbsp;-/font nobr19 hours ago/nobr/fontbrfont size=-1According to a recent survey, children’s health is significantly related to household income as well as the parents’ education level. b.../b/font/div/font/td/tr/table table border=0 width= valign=top cellpadding=2 cellspacing=7trtd valign=top class=jfont style=font-size:85%;font-family:arial,sans-serifbrdiv style=padding-top:0.8em;img alt= height=1 width=1/divdiv class=lha href=http://news.google.com/news/url?sa=Tct=us/4-0fd=Rurl=http://www.naplesnews.com/blogs/observation_post/2008/oct/12/moreplunderentry/cid=1255973992ei=gDHzSM_vPJPK8ASx9v2DAQusg=AFQjCNEb0HcrfH0e97_e-ZA2pY20hhqnSAMONEY CAN BUY bHAPPINESS/b/abrfont size=-1font color=#6f6f6fNaples Daily News,nbsp;FLnbsp;-/font nobrOct 11, 2008/nobr/fontbrfont size=-1With $850 billion dollars of consumer debt reported at the time of the CBS story that#39;s a lot bhappiness/b that got bought at someone else#39;s expense. b.../b/font/div/font/td/tr/table table border=0 width= valign=top cellpadding=2 cellspacing=7trtd valign=top class=jfont style=font-size:85%;font-family:arial,sans-serifbrdiv style=padding-top:0.8em;img alt= height=1 width=1/divdiv class=lha href=http://news.google.com/news/url?sa=Tct=us/5-0fd=Rurl=http://www.tradingmarkets.com/.site/news/Stock%2520News/1937033/cid=1254444536ei=gDHzSM_vPJPK8ASx9v2DAQusg=AFQjCNEpFTMwtwyaP1H6uzJ11fEbh8s5RwEDITORIAL: The keys to bhappiness/b/abrfont size=-1font color=#6f6f6fTrading Markets (press release),nbsp;CAnbsp;-/font nobrOct 11, 2008/nobr/fontbrfont size=-1Oct 12, 2008 (Boston Herald - McClatchy-Tribune Information Services via COMTEX) -- F | Quote | Chart | News | PowerRating -- Ford Motor Co. will introduce b.../b/font/div/font/td/tr/table table border=0 width= valign=top cellpadding=2 cellspacing=7trtd valign=top class=jfont style=font-size:85%;font-family:arial,sans-serifbrdiv style=padding-top:0.8em;img alt= height=1 width=1/divdiv class=lha href=http://news.google.com/news/url?sa=Tct=us/6-0fd=Rurl=http://www.bangkokpost.com/breaking_news/breakingnews.php%3Fid%3D131358cid=0ei=gDHzSM_vPJPK8ASx9v2DAQusg=AFQjCNGkqlTn62qwFTiYtxvMFqmMRmI11APoll: Political crisis brings down bhappiness/b index/abrfont size=-1font color=#6f6f6fBangkok Post,nbsp;Thailandnbsp;-/font nobrOct 12, 2008/nobr/fontbrfont size=-1The Gross Domestic bHappiness/b Index (GDHI) survey of 3293 respondents was conducted in 18 provinces from October7 to 11, ABAC Poll Research Centre director b.../b/font/div/font/td/tr/table table border=0 width= valign=top cellpadding=2 cellspacing=7trtd valign=top class=jfont style=font-size:85%;font-family:arial,sans-serifbrdiv style=padding-top:0.8em;img alt= height=1 width=1/divdiv class=lha href=http://news.google.com/news/url?sa=Tct=us/7-0fd=Rurl=http://blogcritics.org/archives/2008/10/13/041728.phpcid=0ei=gDHzSM_vPJPK8ASx9v2DAQusg=AFQjCNHUwhR-SILhKfHG-H15BWDFzhhfBAMusic Review: Marillion - bHappiness/b Is The Road/abrfont size=-1font color=#6f6f6fBlogcritics.org,nbsp;OHnbsp;-/font nobr3 hours ago/nobr/fontbrfont size=-1On the band’s fifteenth album bHappiness/b Is The Road they have taken this partnership with fans a step further by actually seeding the album on peer-to-peer b.../b/font/div/font/td/tr/table table border=0 width= valign=top cellpadding=2 cellspacing=7trtd valign=top class=jfont style=font-size:85%;font-family:arial,sans-serifbrdiv style=padding-top:0.8em;img alt= height=1 width=1/divdiv class=lha href=http://news.google.com/news/url?sa=Tct=us/8-0fd=Rurl=http://lfpress.ca/newsstand/Today/SundayEnt/2008/10/12/7057916-sun.htmlcid=1256769688ei=gDHzSM_vPJPK8ASx9v2DAQusg=AFQjCNFRI_yjd-WfVvj-m1LQa8vsH8tXNgbHappiness/b or bust/abrfont size=-1font color=#6f6f6fLondon Free Press,nbsp;Canadanbsp;-/font nobrOct 11, 2008/nobr/fontbrfont size=-1By MICHAEL RECHTSHAFFEN HOLLYWOOD -- Meg Ryan and Dennis Quaid duet on Your Cheatin#39; Heart as Phil Collins sings a real downer rendition of Separate Lives b.../b/font/div/font/td/tr/table table border=0 width= valign=top cellpadding=2 cellspacing=7trtd width=80 align=center valign=topfont style=font-size:85%;font-family:arial,sans-serifa href=http://news.google.com/news/url?sa=Tct=us/9i-0fd=Rurl=http://www.healthnewsdigest.com/news/Guest_Columnist_710/The_Happiness_Factor.shtmlcid=0ei=gDHzSM_vPJPK8ASx9v2DAQusg=AFQjCNHhSf3BfdHvm_lK8Py5x7-78wUu7Qimg src=http://news.google.com/news?imgefp=fne7kt7lb04Jimgurl=www.healthnewsdigest.com/artman/uploads/1/TheHappinessFactor_TheHappinessFactor_20.jpg width=58 height=80 alt= border=1brfont size=-2HealthNewsDigest.com/font/a/font/tdtd valign=top class=jfont style=font-size:85%;font-family:arial,sans-serifbrdiv style=padding-top:0.8em;img alt= height=1 width=1/divdiv class=lha href=http://news.google.com/news/url?sa=Tct=us/9-0fd=Rurl=http://www.healthnewsdigest.com/news/Guest_Columnist_710/The_Happiness_Factor.shtmlcid=0ei=gDHzSM_vPJPK8ASx9v2DAQusg=AFQjCNHhSf3BfdHvm_lK8Py5x7-78wUu7QThe bHappiness/b Factor/abrfont size=-1font color=#6f6f6fHealthNewsDigest.com,nbsp;NYnbsp;-/font nobr14 hours ago/nobr/fontbrfont size=-1We’ve learned a lot about bhappiness/b in 2008. Thanks to a wealth of new scientific studies and public opinion polls examining mental well-being in America, b.../b/font/div/font/td/tr/table Happiness - Google News |
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