OT:Making Life Yours

Perception

There is no secret recipe for happiness and contentment. The individuals who move through life joyously have not necessarily been blessed with lives of abundance, love, success, and prosperity. Such people have, however, been blessed with the ability to take the cir****tances they’ve been handed and make them into something great. Our individual realities are colored by perception—delight and despair come from within rather than without. Situations we regard as fortuitous please us while situations we judge inauspicious cause us no end of grief. Yet if we can look at all we have accomplished without dwelling on our perceived misfortune and make each new cir****tance our own, the world as a whole becomes a brighter place. A simple shift in attitude can help us recognize and unearth the hidden potential for personal and outer world fulfillment in every event, every relationship, every duty, and every setback.

The universe is often an unpredictable and chaotic place, and the human tendency is to focus on the negative and assume the positive will care for itself. But life can be no more or no less than what you make of it. If you are working in a job you dislike, you can concentrate on the positive aspects of the position and approach your work with gusto. What can you do with this job that can turn it around so you do love it. When faced with the prospect of undertaking a task you fear, you can view it as an opportunity to discover what you are truly capable of doing. Similarly, unexpected events, when viewed as surprises, can add flavor to your existence. By choosing to love life no matter what crosses your path, you can create an atmosphere of jubilance that is wonderfully infectious. A change in perspective is all it takes to change your world, but you must be willing to adopt an optimistic, hopeful mind-set.

To make a conscious decision to be happy is not enough. You must learn to observe life’s complexities through the eyes of a child seeing everything for the first time. You must furthermore divest yourself of preconceived notions of what is good and what is bad so that you can appreciate the rich insights concealed in each stage of your life’s journey. And you must strive to discover the dual joys of wanting what you have. As you gradually shift your perspective, your existence will be imbued with happiness and contentment that will remain with you forever.

Many, many years ago, I looked in the mirror and saw a very unhappy person.

Someone told me that you use less muscles by smiling vs frowning......I decided that I would smile....then I figured out that I had control over whether or not I was happy, content, etc and I controlled certain things in my life........My perspective shifted dramatically.

Thank you for reminding me to make lemonade out of lemons!!!

BTW:  Are you coming to Dallas weekend after next??

I had planned on it, but something came up at work and I'm unable too.....I still have a ticket and might just show up some weekend to visit you..

Counting on it!!!

Darlene....you come up with some of the best posts...very good!!

Love ya....hugs to you....connie d

Thank you, Darlene, for your amazing posts. They are not only profound, but help us to stay on our individual path towards success and happiness. Please keep them coming!

love to all,
Kathie