Finding Happiness Here And Now

THE TRUTH ABOUT FINDING HAPPINESS

I was inspired to create this site on finding happiness to share some powerful tools
and insights which have had a profound impact on my own experience of happiness.

For many people, happiness is conditional. If I win the lottery, meet the right partner, receive an apology, find my life purpose - then I will be happy.

While we wait for things to change, we postpone our happiness. It becomes a goal to be achieved in some future moment when conditions are ripe. And even when it does arrive, it is always short-lived because it is never long before there is something else to change, fix or figure out first.

So, the question is: "Instead of waiting for happiness to appear someday, is it possible to learn how to BE happy (or at least happier) right NOW, regardless of what is going on in our lives?

I spent years, including eight years as a monk and meditation teacher, asking myself the same question. Through this website, I will share with you everything I learned - all of the strategies, exercises and insights that have helped transform, in some cases dramatically, my own experience.

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I have split the site into 3 main themes:

• Happiness As A Mindset • Kicking The Thinking Habit
• Happiness As Our True Nature

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Happiness As A Mindset
Finding happiness, to a great extent, comes from making this simple decision: "Today, whatever comes up, I choose to be happy."

Most people are about as happy as they decide to be.
- Abraham Lincoln

We can learn to consciously change our habitual responses to the events that show up in our lives. Whatever our experience in any given moment, there are always choices we can make which either increase (or decrease) our level of happiness. Happy people consistently make choices which lean towards happiness.

See the following pages:

how to be happy            being a creator rather than a victim
choosing happiness        taking the matter into your own hands.
the power of gratitude    focus on the good that already exists in your life.
self-acceptance              finding yourself innocent of all charges!

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Kicking The Thinking Habit

A major block to finding happiness for many people is the incessant mental chatter that goes on in their heads, especially when it is negative or judgemental.

Being subjected to the same old patterns playing over and over like worn-out gramophone records can be stressful and exhausting.

So, how to pull the plug on an overactive mind?

Check out the following pages:

addictive thinking
how to stop thinking
dealing with a monkey mind
what you resist persists

You may also wish to take a look at my new book Kick The Thinking Habit which draws on my experience as a meditation teacher and is packed full of tips, exercises and insights for helping you think less and enjoy life more.

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Happiness Beyond The Mind

Though highly beneficial, changing our way of thinking and our responses to life won't offer a final solution to the happiness puzzle. The mind, which is divisive by nature, will quite simply NEVER be fully satisfied - or not for long anyway.

On the page, what is happiness, I talk about the three types of happiness: pleasure, satisfaction and joy. Pleasure pertains to the body, satisfaction to the mind and joy to the spirit. Unlike pleasure and satisfaction, joy has no opposite nor external cause - it springs forth from the depths of our being as our true nature. This is the happiness of small children.

Generally, as adults, our lives are so busy and our minds so active that we don't notice the joy of our being that is always there below the surface. Joy can never leave us but we habitually leave joy. In fact, finding happiness is a misnomer. It is always there and is either recognised or not. So, how do we re-cognise it? Through learning to be STILL and to disengage from the thinking mind.

See:

taming the monkey mind       turn the monkey into a pussy cat
mindful meditation                witnessing the mind without judgement
the benefits of meditation      the fast track to inner peace and well-being.
being happy here and now     practicing present moment awareness

I hope you find this 'finding happiness' site both fun and enlightening! Please feel free to contact me with any questions, comments or just to say hello. :-)

Let's get started!

Finding Happiness Blog: The Finding Happiness Blog keeps you up-to-date with all additions and changes to the find-happiness.com website. Subscribe here.
Spiritual Life Coaching Online with Richard Paterson: Spiritual Life Coaching Online - Helping you experience peace in each moment - whatever your situation.
The Definition of Happiness? Pleasure, joy or authentic happiness?: What is your definition of happiness? What is the difference between relative and authentic happiness.
How To Be Happy... 7 effective ways to choose for happiness here and now.: Finding happiness can be a simple choice! These 7 tips on how to be happy will help shift your mood in no time!
Happiness Is A Choice ... Learn How To Choose For Happiness Here And Now.: Happiness is a choice. Finding authentic happiness through the habitual choices you make.
Happiness Quotes: Happiness Quotes to brighten up your day
Being Happy Here And Now ... Finding Authentic Happiness Is Childs Play!: How to be happy here and now through practicing present moment awareness.
Authentic Happiness - How To be Happy Here And Now, Whatever Your Life Situation: Authentic happiness, the happiness from within, is both your true nature and your birthright. How to be happy for no reason
Put your happiness first and all else shall be added unto you: How putting your happiness first makes you a powerful magnet for attracting the good
How To Stop Thinking So Much ... An Effective Cure For Addictive Thinking: Don't know how to stop thinking? Learn some simple insights that will help you pull the plug on a busy mind and cure obsessive thinking.
Addictive thinking can seriously harm you and those around you.: Addictive thinking is a habit that can be let go of. Learn how to stop thinking and tame the monkey mind.
Taming the monkey mind ....is addictive thinking robbing you of your peace?: How to turn the monkey mind into a pussycat ... calming an unquiet mind through awareness.
Finding Inner Peace ... How To Find Inner Peace Through Self-Acceptance: Are you seeking inner peace? Finding inner peace comes from allowing every experience to be exactly as it is without any judgement.
The Benefits of Meditation... learn how to meditate: Discover the benefits of meditation.... why learning how to meditate can transform your life.
Learn How To Meditate ... Experience The Many Benefits Of Meditation: Learning how to meditate will increase your inner peace, joy and energy!
Mindful Meditation ... Easy Meditation Techniques To Experience Deep Peace: Mindful meditation ...simple instructions for experiencing deep rest and peace in the present moment.
Non-Attachment Is The Key To Contentment: Discover inner peace and contentment through practicing non-attachment
Mind Over Mood...how to tame an unquiet monkey mind: Mind over mood... you can't choose your mood but you can choose how you respond. How acceptance and non-judgement can produce instant peace.
Dealing With Depression... how to deal with depression through Awareness: Dealing with depression... an alternative approach to coping with depression
What You Resist Persists / What You Embrace Dissolves: If what you resist persists... then learn to say YES! to every experience.
9 Ways To Relieve Stress: A light-hearted look at ways to relieve stress.
About Me: Richard Paterson is a healer, workshop leader, meditation teacher, author and public speaker from Edinburgh, Scotland.
Contact Me: contact me

SBI!

HAPPINESS

FREE YOUR MIND

MEDITATION

MISCELLANEOUS

THE TRUTH ABOUT FINDING HAPPINESS