Practice Happiness

In an ad a model, middle-aged with graying hair and glasses smiles with great glee. The ad says it all. "Practice Happiness".
" Happiness" is a consious decision, a determined attitude, an openness to nuance, beauty, gifts of wonder, requiring ACTION, WORDS, APPRECIATION, and UNDERSTANDING on your part.
* Generally, and ironically, those people who say they are " Unhappy" for reasons unknown, are generally behaving in ways which wouldn't bring any joys to anyone around them either; the same way that bored people are boring people.

*Practice Happiness ; walk with a bounce, smile at people, make thankful, apprecitive comments to others for their acts or words of service to you. Make positive plans to bless someone else, or something that you want to do that you enjoy.

1. " Feelings" of happiness are not what our society makes them out to be (" THE criterion for determining the value of our lives and our relationships".). We can choose to be thankful for all of the wonderous gifts we have. Practicing gratefullness leads to 'feelings' of happiness.
2. Fulfilling our obligations, thanking others for their kindnesses to us, behaving in ways which are kind, loving and positive towards others, make us happy in and of themselves!
3. When we create pleasantness, in spite of our mood, we create an atmosphere in which others flourish and feed us back even more positively.
4. Feelings have no conscience or IQ- they are not to be revered over obligation, morality, service, and common sense.
In conclusion your life, and your relationships are not going to be perfect in this world. That should not stop you from doing every thoughtful, brave, and compassionate thing that you have an opportunity to, to bring pleasure into the lives of your family and friends. And that should not stop you from enjoying the value of what you are privilaged and blessed to have- if only we would choose to see it that way and BE thankful.
If we are not happy, we need to try behaving as though we are. It will lighten life up for us and our families, and how that feeds back, lighting up the world.

Dr. Schlessinger

This is a good reminder.
Of course the Word of God has many passages about this subject: In everything give thanks- and the peace of God..will be yours ; rejoice, rejoice, and again I say rejoice, Give thanks in all things for this is the will of God concerning you; Faith without works is dead.( behaving in a thankful joyful manner) The joy of the Lord is my strength!
I'm sure you can find many verses that echo what shes reminding us of.
I enjoyed the way she said it 'differently' and made the practical application. It made it seem 'new' again to me; made me consider whether or not I was making the choice to be actively ' alive' to the blessings of God, and thankful daily.