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Happiness Revisited

A few weeks ago I received a rather harshly worded email criticizing what Chief Joseph and I have said about human happiness over the years.

 
John Cali

Here's part of the email, just as I received it:

"This is all bullshit John. What you are spreading is under-baked understanding. Thought and continuous happiness cannot go together."

I've received similar comments in the past. It still surprises me so many folks think happiness in this lifetime is a near-impossible dream. Certainly, "continuous happiness" is not most people's experience. But to imply, as the email writer seems to be doing, that thought and happiness don't mix is, in my opinion, the real BS.

A couple weeks ago I read an interesting research study of twins. After following a number of twins over many years, the researchers found the twin who looked the youngest almost always lived the longest.

Have you ever noticed happy people look younger than unhappy people the same age? Chief Joseph has said the happier you are, the longer you live.

Life is as hard or as easy, as sad or as joyful as we want to make it. US President Abraham Lincoln once said "A man is about as happy as he makes up his mind to be."

We cannot control others or the world at large, but we are in total control of our thoughts -- and, therefore, of the reality we create with those thoughts.

That makes sense to me. Does it to you?

Here's a review of what Chief Joseph has said about happiness over the years.

 
Chief Joseph

Happiness is such a seemingly elusive goal for many humans. Certainly most of you have experienced unhappiness in your lives at one time or another. But that does not mean unhappiness is your natural state of being. Quite the opposite. Happiness is your natural state of being.

When you remember who you truly are, what we just said will make perfect sense.

You are God. Period! Yes, you occupy human male and female bodies at the moment. But you are God nonetheless, God in human form. You are, in this state of being God, fully aligned with your higher selves. Your higher selves are also God.

It really is that simple. Don't make it complicated or difficult. You are God. Every aspect of you, human and spirit, is God.

You, as your higher selves, chose this current incarnation. Even if you chose challenging circumstances into which to be born, you chose it all because you intended to find joy here, to find happiness in exercising your divine creative powers.

Your higher self, that wiser broader part of you, lives eternally in a state of perfect happiness. You -- the human part of you -- when you are aligned with your higher selves, are also happy. And it won't matter what is happening in the world around you. It won't matter what other people are choosing to do with their lives.

All that matters, all that ever has or ever will matter, are the thoughts you think, the choices you make as a result of those thoughts.

Happiness is a choice you can freely make. Unhappiness is a choice you can freely make. No one, nothing can compel you to be either happy or unhappy. It's as President Lincoln said -- you are as happy as you decide to be.

When you fully acknowledge and accept you are God, you cannot be anything other than happy. When you know you, as God in human form, deserve to be happy, you will be.

But when you believe happiness is an impossible dream, so it will be for you. You will find unhappiness everywhere you look.

When you believe happiness is your birthright, you will find happiness everywhere you look. When you deliberately choose joyful thoughts most of the time, you will be happy. You will be at peace with yourselves and the world.

Will you be happy or unhappy? It's your choice.

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This Week's Newsletter Reflection Questions

News Updates

1)  Chief Joseph & John Cali at Crimson Circle's Midsummer Conference -- we now have  audio CDs and MP3 Files available of Joseph's and John's presentation on July 17, 2009.

2)  We're now doing regular podcasts with Chief Joseph. You can now download them free.

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