Happiness: Mind over Matter

Happiness is the state of being happy, therefore, it is mind over matter because you have to make a “decision” to be happy no matter what your circumstance.

“Happiness is not something ready made. It comes from your own actions.” –Dalai Lama

“Most folks are as happy as they make up their minds to be.” –Abraham Lincoln

Even though you could be infinitely happy by just enjoying nature, family and all the human-made things, there are still millions of people who are unhappy. When you look at the developed countries  there tends to be the very fortunate circumstance of having both God-given and man-made things.  Even so, the majority of the people are still unhappy.

Yet again, in the under developed countries, where for millions, there is a real scarcity of even basic needs, yet the people seem to be happy. There are even some people who are engaged in difficult tasks, warfare, or even incarcerated in prisons, and yet they are still happy!

“Our greatest happiness does not depend on the condition of life in which chance has placed us, but is always the result of a good conscience, good health, occupation, and freedom in all just pursuits.” –Thomas Jefferson

Happiness is not realized by the mere availability and abundance of God given and human-made things. There is something else which should be right to be happy. Of course, it is our mind that must have right attitude  and capacity to be happy.

Milton in Paradise Lost says,

‘The mind is its own place, and in itself
Can make a Heaven of Hell, a Hell of Heaven.’

Various examples of us how the mind over matter can and will influence our body:

• Pavlov’s dog starts salivating at the sound of the bell without any food in sight.
• If we are tense we often get headache, backache, and spondylitis, etc.
• Heart attacks are directly linked to worry and tension.
• The Right mental attitude helps in curing many bodily maladies.
• Self-talk, motivation, and positive attitude we can become happy and successful.
• Hypnosis one can have command over another person’s mind and body.
• Meditation can help with having a healthy body and extra sensory abilities.

“Happiness doesn’t depend on any external conditions, it is governed by our mental attitude.” –Dale Carnegie

The Mind has extra-ordinary powers and as far as happiness is concerned,  it has the ultimate power. We should, therefore, have a positive attitude towards life. Instead of concentrating on the bad things in life and people, we should always concentrate on the redeeming features in them.

It is important not to keep on thinking about past failures and bad experiences,  but be encouraged by your past success and good experiences. Similarly, we should not be unduly anxious about the future as our anxiety is not going to have a positive effect, but we should plan and work hard for the future.

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