Genuine happiness comes from within

Genuine Happiness Comes from Within

Life is not perfect for anyone. It is not always sunshine and flowers. It is not always rainbows and roses. Many people think that happiness will come with the next car, house, job, or other material possession.  But that is not true. 

True happiness comes from within.  It is a state of mind that you find when you become grateful about what you already have in your life.  There are always positive things that you can see in any situation. 

We often look at others and we think they have the most perfect lives.  We compare our own lives to theirs and find that our own fall short.  Comparing yourself to someone else is never going to bring you happiness.

If you want to find true happiness,  then you need to start by looking at yourself.  Why are you not happy with your life?  What would it take to make you happy?  Do you have good relationships with other people?  What is holding you back from being happy?

Most likely what is holding you back is your own mind.  If you can get over yourself and your own thoughts and negativity then you are on your way to starting to become a happier person. 

How do we become happier?  One of the first things that you have to do is -  Love Yourself.  Accept yourself.  Sure you are probably not perfect,  but who is?  Even thought you are not perfect,  you have to accept the fact that you're not. We are all imperfect.  And that is okay. 

Despite not being perfect, we must accept our imperfections.  If there is something about yourself that is bothering you,  then you need to figure out what it is and take measures to improve yourself. 

Despite realizing that you have things about yourself that need improvement, you also must be able to be content with what you do have in your life.  Are you content with the job that you have,  the way you look, with your relationships, with your home, with your car, and other things that you now have? You must appreciate what you have now in order to feel better about your life.

You have to decide that you are a happy person in order to be a happy person.  Today is a good day to have a good day,  is it not?  Why wait until something else happens or changes in your life before you decide that you want to be happy? Nobody is constantly happy without making a conscious decision to feel happy. 

Every time you exert the effort to improve your life and yourself then you are coming closer and closer to genuine happiness.  You have to constantly try to improve your quality of life -  clean your room,  take care of your sick pets,  make an effort to do something nice for someone else, lose weight, learn something, etc.  You should always be in a state of constant improvement -  because we never really "get"  to where we want to be.  We should always strive,  every single day,  to be better than we were yesterday. 

That's all that we can really do -  is try to be better than we were yesterday. 

As long as you can do that then you learn to become a happier person. 

Concept to Completion

This article was written by me for an online magazine called Fuzzfur in 2006. Ten years later, I have the same beliefs and this November 2016 is a big election for our country.

Concept to Completion

Action Required

by Jodi Jones, October 2006

When the editor told me the theme for this month’s issue was “concept to completion” I tried to think how I could tie it into one of my favorite subjects to discuss: politics and government.  As November rolls around, I am reminded of the event that occurs in November.  No, not Thanksgiving… Election Day. 

Most people forget Election Day and some people don’t even vote when that day in November rolls around… but those same people will be the first to complain when in May or June the government, or elected officials, do something they do not like. 

Let me just say – if you are too lazy to get up and vote on November 7, then you forfeit your right to complain about who wins the election.  And when I’m standing next to you and hear you complain, the first question I will ask you is, “Well, did you VOTE?”  Nine times out of ten, I hear, “No, my vote doesn’t really count anyway.”  First of all, that’s not true (but that’s for another issue).  Second of all, if you voted, then please feel free to complain all you want. But if you didn’t bother to vote, then I don’t want to hear your crappy-ass complaints!

The concept for those people is they don’t like what the government is doing, they want a change, they are unhappy with the president, governor, senator, mayor, etc, but when it comes to completing their thought through ACTION (i.e. voting) they are nowhere to be found. 

The key to completing any concept is through action. If you do not like your job, and you complain everyday, but you do not take any action of quitting your job or finding another one, then the question is: do you really not like your job or do you just like to complain?  If you dislike your elected official, complain about them all the time, and then do not show up at the voting booth on Election Day, then are you really unhappy with your representatives or do you just like to complain?  I see a pattern of complaining here…do you?

When an idea or concept comes into your head and you want something done, you have to take a step forward, and do something to make sure you complete your thought. People imagine that they can just wish their government to change and it will.  They think they can just wish the President or Congress would do this or wouldn’t do that, but is wishing for it actually going to make it happen?  No, it’s not.

People don’t seem to understand that no concept can ever be completed without some sort of action on their part. You can’t just wish for a new car and suddenly have one (well, if you can, please let me know how you did it) – you have to actually go buy a new car. You can’t wish to lose weight and have it happen – you have to DO SOMETHING in order for it to happen.  And you can’t change the government or political system through wishing and wishful thinking, either.  You always have to take a stand and do something in order to complete your concept.

What is your passion?

I wrote this for an article in Fuzzfurr in 2006.

What is your Passion?

By Jodi Jones

November 2006

Each one of us has a fire in our heart for something. It’s our goal in life to find it and to keep it lit. – Mary Lou Retton

What do you want your legacy to be?  Although I don’t generally like to think of my impending death, I found the question intriguing and it didn’t take me very long to discover my response: for people to say, “I am a better person for having known her.” To some that might seem like a lofty goal, but I would never be satisfied by having low aspirations. I do not shoot for mediocrity.  I am not a mediocre person; I will not settle for a mediocre life.  Having an extraordinary life is what I want.

Everyone is motivated, inspired, and driven by something.  Some people are driven by power, money, success, evil, hatred, love, religion, marriage, children, God, or family.  At age 85, legendary artist Michelangelo said, “Ancora Imparo” which means “I am still learning.”  How inspiring to know that someone as remarkable as Michelangelo would say that, when others consider him to be a “genius”.  Learning has always been a passion of mine.  Everyday I strive to learn something new and grow as a person. 

Opening the minds of others to a new thought, idea, opinion, or viewpoint is one of the best feelings.  It is truly rewarding when someone says, “I never thought of it that way.”  Wherever I end up in life, I aim to make a difference to and for others.   I want to open people’s minds; broaden their horizons; change their perspectives; make them think differently; and inspire them to want to learn.

Socrates once said, “The unexamined life is not worth living” which is truer than people think.  Why do we believe what we do? Why do we feel as we do? Why do we want what we do?  We should know why – or at least want to know why.  We should be able to defend all of our opinions, thoughts, and beliefs.  Why are you who you are? 

I am puzzled by those who wish to remain the same forever; those who do the same thing over and over expecting different a different result; those who believe the same things as someone else but do not know why. If you look at the world at 40 the same way you did when you were 20, then you have wasted 20 years.  Personal growth and profound knowledge are goals set deep in my soul. Certainly I have other goals, but all other goals come from that deep urge to learn, love, and inspire.  I want it for myself and for others.  I want people to want to think for themselves, not to be led by others.  I want them to know why they feel as they do, why they want what they do, and why they hold the opinions they do. 

If I can for a single moment give someone else a thought they never had, and if I am able to open their minds about something – anything at all – then I have absolutely helped them grow and become a better person… simply by having known them.

“While we have the gift of life, it seems to me the only tragedy is to allow part of us to die – whether it is our spirit, our creativity, or our glorious uniqueness” – Gilda Radner

Concept to Completion

This article was written by me for an online magazine called Fuzzfur in 2006. Ten years later, I have the same beliefs and this November 2016 is a big election for our country.

Concept to Completion

Action Required

by Jodi Jones, October 2006

When the editor told me the theme for this month’s issue was “concept to completion” I tried to think how I could tie it into one of my favorite subjects to discuss: politics and government.  As November rolls around, I am reminded of the event that occurs in November.  No, not Thanksgiving… Election Day. 

Most people forget Election Day and some people don’t even vote when that day in November rolls around… but those same people will be the first to complain when in May or June the government, or elected officials, do something they do not like. 

Let me just say – if you are too lazy to get up and vote on November 7, then you forfeit your right to complain about who wins the election.  And when I’m standing next to you and hear you complain, the first question I will ask you is, “Well, did you VOTE?”  Nine times out of ten, I hear, “No, my vote doesn’t really count anyway.”  First of all, that’s not true (but that’s for another issue).  Second of all, if you voted, then please feel free to complain all you want. But if you didn’t bother to vote, then I don’t want to hear your crappy-ass complaints!

The concept for those people is they don’t like what the government is doing, they want a change, they are unhappy with the president, governor, senator, mayor, etc, but when it comes to completing their thought through ACTION (i.e. voting) they are nowhere to be found. 

The key to completing any concept is through action. If you do not like your job, and you complain everyday, but you do not take any action of quitting your job or finding another one, then the question is: do you really not like your job or do you just like to complain?  If you dislike your elected official, complain about them all the time, and then do not show up at the voting booth on Election Day, then are you really unhappy with your representatives or do you just like to complain?  I see a pattern of complaining here…do you?

When an idea or concept comes into your head and you want something done, you have to take a step forward, and do something to make sure you complete your thought. People imagine that they can just wish their government to change and it will.  They think they can just wish the President or Congress would do this or wouldn’t do that, but is wishing for it actually going to make it happen?  No, it’s not.

People don’t seem to understand that no concept can ever be completed without some sort of action on their part. You can’t just wish for a new car and suddenly have one (well, if you can, please let me know how you did it) – you have to actually go buy a new car. You can’t wish to lose weight and have it happen – you have to DO SOMETHING in order for it to happen.  And you can’t change the government or political system through wishing and wishful thinking, either.  You always have to take a stand and do something in order to complete your concept.