HOW TO GET THERE AND STAY THERE
I. Learn what makes people happy (see below) - become an expert in it.
a. Learn what the obstacles are (that which causes unhappiness).
1. Eliminate them, as a top priority.
II. Do those. Train in those.
III. Remind oneself - keep "top of the mind"
IV. Repeat...
That produces happiness.
Just use the items below as your learning program.
I discuss these outlined items with a bit more explanation at the end of this outline.
THE KEY TRAIT OF A HAPPY PERSON
Peace of mind knowing that one is ok for right now and that things are taken care of as well as they can be - including appreciation and gratitude for it all. Of course, to reach that level of peace of mind you need to do a few things. See, in the Peace of mind section, "What creates 'unpeace of mind'?" and "The means to attaining peace of mind." You'll need to do/learn those things below, as they will have you living at peace. Peace of mind is totally attainable, as the path has already been determined, though you will have to give up some expectations and behaviors that don't serve you anyway and/or harm you...
LIST OF WHAT COMPOSES HAPPINESS
The three key, necessary requirements:
Eliminate the key obstacle to happiness: the 2 key false beliefs
Right/wrong, good/bad
Fear of loss
III. Self-Discipline - Enough to make the choices for the behaviors (and habits) to make you happy and to learn enough of how things work to be able to implement them. Happiness is something you proactively, on-purpose create, not something that happens to a blob or non-in-charge person - so you've got to implement the program steps. Self-Discipline comes from spending time on "the path that leads to an ability and/or a result that is desired".
Supporting items:
4. True beliefs (which correspond with reality and therefore do not create
unhappiness)
b. Accept reality - "Resisting" reality is the source of suffering (unhappiness)...
5. Self-care - Total, making sure your emotional "tank" is filled and you're operating
in the harmony in which the body and mind function best.
6. Be maximally around supportive, positive, happy people.
AND THIS IS TRUE OF A HAPPY PERSON
You'll not seek approval from outside; you will have "freedom" from that. [This
takes some learning, to overcome cultural myths.]
You'll be fully self-expressive and authentic.
You'll operate from values, of which you'll be very clear, on a solidly formed
foundation - free from approval needs or "conditionality" of circumstances.
You'll spend (virtually) no time trying to control others.
basics is a bonus.
DISCUSSION OF ITEMS IN "HOW TO GET THERE"
Since outlines are brief and to the point, they can be misunderstood and/or be incomplete compared to what is needed to understand them.
I. Learn what makes people happy (see below) - become an expert in it.
This would seem to be obvious on the surface, but few people do it. How can you do something well if you don't know what it is that you need to do? How can you produce happiness when you have many false and some harmful beliefs related to how to cause happiness?
The time spent learning this is massively beneficial to you, which is indisputable.
A. Learn what the obstacles are (that which causes unhappiness).
1. Eliminate them, as a top priority.
We keep the key obstacles in place and then we try to operate on top of them, while they are sabotaging our happiness and often creating unhappiness. If we do not eliminate them, then we cannot be happy! (Duh!)
II. Do those. Train in those.
"Learning" involves doing and repeating, until learned in the core of one's being and doing. If we want to get to the Carnegie Hall Of Happiness, we've got to "practice, practice, practice", until we become a virtuouso playing the songs of happiness.
III. Remind oneself - keep "top of the mind"
While we need to build them into our minds as much as possible, inevitably we forget or we lose sight of what the right things are to do. Any powerful insights or skills are worthwhile bringing back to the front (or top) of the mind, so that we are fully aware of them in operating for the day from those viewpoints. This is the purpose of the Reminders System (Reminders Notebook).
IV. Repeat.
Keep on doing these things. Each time you do, you are guaranteed to get more out of it than the effort put into it - it is always productive to return to it and to integrate it in between all the great experiences you have while accomplishing specific goals and getting what you want in life.
