Happy :)

I watched a documentary today called "happy" and really loved it. It's always a breath of fresh air to see someone put together a good form of media for entertaining and uplifting those who watch. It was full of really fabulous points, but I wanted to organize just a few thoughts I had about it for myself as well as anyone else that is interested.

Point #1: How much of happiness is my decision?
Answer 40% of it is based on active decisions, mainly to do the things under point #2. It sounds kind of impossible to put a number to it, but in identical twin studies, they found that everyone kind of has a baseline of their normal level of happiness and they vary below and above that. 50% of what contributes to that is genetics. What % is based on the circumstances that happen to you? Only 10%! If we are victims, we are not victims of our circumstances but victims of our choices.

Point #2: What things will make me happy?

• Service for those around us - They found that this was the biggest indicator of happiness. Service helps us quit thinking about our self (something that is EXTREMELY popular in our society) and to think of others' needs. Service can open our eyes and change our perspective. 
• Having a close network of family and friends - without exception, those that are happy have close family or friends. 
• Doing things you are intrinsically motivated to do - personal growth, developing close relationships, and helping the world be a better place.
• Doing new things - there's something about having new experiences, that's all there is to it.

Point #3: What things will not make me happy?

• Money - They make the point that obviously if people have no money they're less likely to be happy because they are struggling to survive. But once we have enough money to survive and provide basic needs, money beyond that does nothing for our happiness. 
• Working solely for other extrinsically motivated things - status, money, popularity. 
• Being selfish - we live in a world that worships self. I am never happy when I am self-absorbed, I am always happy when I get out of myself and think of others. 

Point #4: A simpler life.
What did we all do before we had TV, phones, internet? We spent time with each other. And we enjoyed it because it was just that. They did a bit on this random tribe in southwestern Africa. Many of them die at an early age because of disease. They hunt for food. They wear hardly any clothing. They have little more than the dirt beneath their feet. And yet they have everything. They have a strong sense of community. They have strong relationships. They also didn't worry about what they looked like. They didn't what clothes the other person is wearing, how they did their hair, if they had wrinkles or blotches, or how much weight they should lose so they can look good in their swimsuits. Nobody cared. Nobody judged. They just seemed to be there, accepting each other for who they were. How did we lose such a primitive, yet Godlike concept?

Why do I share all this? First of all, to make the point that we can never be happy in addiction. It has always and will always lead to sorrow. Why? Because it is in direct opposition to everything in life that will make us happy. It is the epitome of selfishness. It causes personal destruction, not growth. It destroys relationships. It isolates us from family, friends, and other activities that we used to love. I can think of nothing more representative of Satan's plan that this. He is indeed the great counterfeiter.

Secondly, I share this because the things that make us happy are the building blocks of the gospel of Jesus Christ! When we talk about the gospel making us feel happy, these are the main beliefs and areas that we are really talking about! Gratitude, compassion, new experiences, service, friends and family, growth, relationships, doing meaningful things - these are the building blocks of the gospel as well as the building blocks to a happy life. I think so often I get caught up in the other things in my spiritual life. Sometimes when I hear people say the gospel makes them happy I think, "it just makes me feel busy, or guilty for not being busy." When I feel that way I'm completely missing the point of it all!

If each of us does things that make us happy, then the drive and desire for addiction will diminish. We all sought out addiction (or at least continued in addiction) because we were seeking relief from conscious or unconscious pain. By doing things that genuinely make us happy, we will be filled with the love of God for those around us. (I remember the first time after years of numbness that I was able to feel love for someone - she became my wife. :) ) We will enjoy being with others. We'll enjoy doing other activities. There will be no room for self-serving thoughts or actions. Addiction takes these away from us, Christ brings them back to life.

"Play, having new experiences, friends and family, doing things that are meaningful, appreciating what we have. These are the things that make us happy. And they're free."