{"id":90092,"date":"2018-02-28T08:34:53","date_gmt":"2018-02-28T16:34:53","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.msia.org\/newdayherald\/archives\/90092-soaring-to-spirit-music-meditation-a-sound-bath-copy"},"modified":"2018-03-01T15:46:45","modified_gmt":"2018-03-01T23:46:45","slug":"the-great-dream-for-happiness","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.msia.org\/newdayherald\/archives\/90092-the-great-dream-for-happiness","title":{"rendered":"The Great Dream for Happiness"},"content":{"rendered":"

\u201cI have a dream\u2026We will be able to hew out of the mountain of despair a stone of hope.\u201d<\/em>
\n– Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

We have video proof that Dr. King gave his famous I Have a Dream<\/em> speech on the steps of the Lincoln Memorial in 1963. Controversy, however, swirls around the veracity of a quote by President Abraham Lincoln: \u201cMost folks are about as happy as they make up their minds to be.\u201d<\/p>\n

No argument about the eternal quest for happiness though. Maybe it\u2019s in our DNA. Whether it\u2019s the wish for a hot meal or Aladdin\u2019s Genie with his golden lamp, happiness is a weighty subject. (Sometimes a pricey one. Countless seminars promise happiness in its various forms: How-to-Squeeze Into Your Skinny Jeans, How-to-Make a Million Dollars Before You\u2019re 12!)<\/p>\n

The United Nations has given serious thought to happiness. Since 2013, March 20 is decreed to be the International Day of Happiness. They\u2019ve even compiled 10 Keys to Happier Living<\/a> and created a clever acronym – GREAT DREAM. The following is yours truly\u2019s take on the \u201cGreat Dream.\u201d I’d love to read your ways to happiness in the comments section.<\/p>\n

G<\/strong><\/span>i<\/strong>ving<\/strong> creates a sense of abundance. No money is needed. An authentic smile or compliment to another reminds us that an unending supply of divine love lives inside.<\/p>\n

R<\/strong><\/span>elating<\/strong> reduces risks of heart failure! According to the researchers at the Action for Happiness, \u201cNot having close personal ties poses the same level of health risk as smoking or obesity.\u201d<\/p>\n

Note to Self and You:<\/em> It takes courage to reach out. Dark cloudy emotions make it harder. Take the chance. Spill the beans to a trustworthy one and get a hug. Let them share their Light.<\/p>\n

E<\/strong><\/span>xercising<\/strong> releases endorphins and apparently reduces the perception of pain. No wonder doctors recommend physical activity for those prone to depression.<\/p>\n

A<\/strong><\/span>wareness,<\/strong> like mindfulness, is a marvelous way to come present. It\u2019s also a fab way to truly savor the sweet moments in life. And figure out the crazy times. (Be Present<\/em> is the first chapter of The Tao of Spirit<\/em><\/a> by John-Roger, DSS. Reading the book is like saying the Serenity Prayer!)<\/p>\n

T<\/strong><\/span>rying Out<\/strong> new activities is a terrific way to keep grey matter from shrinking. Mastering ballet or the Chinese language might be daunting past the age of five. Still, baby steps of achievement and accomplishment can lead to higher self-esteem and happiness!<\/p>\n

D<\/strong><\/span>irection<\/strong> gives meaning to life. With goals, there\u2019s a reason to get up in the morning. A few, maybe many, follow a true North path. Even if the road swerves for those of us who have the need to redefine happiness; goals let us discover those deeper truths.<\/p>\n

R<\/strong><\/span>esilience<\/strong> is crucial to surviving inevitable losses. Psychologists cite faith and attitude as primary keys for springing back into Life. If circumstances haven\u2019t helped to foster trust in a higher power, I humbly offer the meditation RX. Start small. Same goes for the attitude. Just notice the tiny things you and others do right.<\/p>\n

E<\/strong><\/span>motions<\/strong> are excellent for everything when they are positive. A reservoir of good feelings produces success on all levels. No surprise that the folks at the Action for Happiness want you to focus on shiny, bright, beautiful things\u2026I do too.<\/p>\n

As someone who has suffered the slings and arrows of guilt because ugly thoughts and emotions have surfaced; here are a few tricks: Allow them. Be authentic. The pain needs Love! Write out the nasties on paper and burn them. Imagine how a fairy godmother or angel would counsel the hurt, angry one.<\/p>\n

A<\/strong><\/span>cceptance<\/strong> can be challenging. <\/strong>It\u2019s soooooo tempting to compare my insides to others\u2019 outside alleged perfection. What helps is remembering that a) I\u2019m on planet Earth aka The Classroom b) The course is designed by a loving Creator.<\/p>\n

M<\/strong><\/span>eaning<\/strong> is given to Life, according to the experts, by believing in something bigger than self. To quote Sesame Street\u2019s beloved Cookie Monster: \u201cLife is not all guessing games. Sometimes we have to care about friends, especially friends who love cookies.\u201d<\/p>\n

So what are you going to do today to fulfill your Great Dream? Love to have you join us on March 20th<\/sup> for The Way of Happiness<\/a> with author, meditation instructor, Paul Kaye and communications expert, Anna Sugai. Click here<\/a> for more info or visit PeaceLabyrinth.org\/events<\/a>.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

\u201cI have a dream\u2026We will be able to hew out of the mountain of despair a stone of hope.\u201d – Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. We have video proof that Dr. King gave his famous I Have a Dream speech on the steps of the Lincoln Memorial in 1963. Controversy, however, swirls around the veracity […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":30,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"site-sidebar-layout":"default","site-content-layout":"","ast-site-content-layout":"default","site-content-style":"default","site-sidebar-style":"default","ast-global-header-display":"","ast-banner-title-visibility":"","ast-main-header-display":"","ast-hfb-above-header-display":"","ast-hfb-below-header-display":"","ast-hfb-mobile-header-display":"","site-post-title":"","ast-breadcrumbs-content":"","ast-featured-img":"","footer-sml-layout":"","ast-disable-related-posts":"","theme-transparent-header-meta":"","adv-header-id-meta":"","stick-header-meta":"","header-above-stick-meta":"","header-main-stick-meta":"","header-below-stick-meta":"","astra-migrate-meta-layouts":"default","ast-page-background-enabled":"default","ast-page-background-meta":{"desktop":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-4)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"tablet":{"background-color":"","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"mobile":{"background-color":"","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""}},"ast-content-background-meta":{"desktop":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-5)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"tablet":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-5)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"mobile":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-5)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""}},"footnotes":""},"categories":[263,266,257],"tags":[3855,1920,3108],"class_list":["post-90092","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-community-spotlight","category-featured","category-ndh-archives","tag-community-spotlight","tag-happiness","tag-palg"],"acf":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.msia.org\/newdayherald\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/90092","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.msia.org\/newdayherald\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.msia.org\/newdayherald\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.msia.org\/newdayherald\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/30"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.msia.org\/newdayherald\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=90092"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.msia.org\/newdayherald\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/90092\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.msia.org\/newdayherald\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=90092"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.msia.org\/newdayherald\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=90092"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.msia.org\/newdayherald\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=90092"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}