Happiness has become the latest fad. Since the Lehman brothers made their mess, we have changed. Mankind has seen the light and it comes in the form of inner bliss rather than external kicks.
We seem to finally realized that not only does money not guarantee happiness, it no longer guarantees security or position. Everything is volatile. Fighting is not an option, the only thing to do is surrender. Surrender the past life to the in vogue search for happiness.
“Happiness is the meaning and the purpose of life, the whole aim and end of human existence” Aristotle
Paul McKenna, Hypnotist and author of “I Can Make you Happy”
Smiling can make you happy even when you don’t feel like it. In his book “I Can Make you Happy” he says whenever you smile you release serotonin. Serotonin is a neurotransmitter that makes you feel good. McKenna also a NLP expert says that the more we repeat a thought or action and create repetition, this creates a neural pathway in the brain. The more we repeat it, the stronger the pathway becomes. Once we form the habit it’s then regulated by the unconscious mind. So what McKenna is saying is that we can create the Habit of Happiness without actually being happy.
Brian Colbert, Mind Coach and author of The Happiness Habit
Colbert confirms McKenna’s views that Happiness can be created as a habit by training your brain to replace constant self criticism and depreciation with more useful ways of thinking. Colbert advocates replacing negative self talk with positive nurturing talk. It’s essential to become aware of how we speak to ourselves and ensure it is positive and constructive.
Martin Seligman, Positive Psychologist and author of “Learned Optimism”
Seligman also promotes the use of positive interior dialog which he says can positively impact depression, boost your immune system, develop your potential and make you happier. Human beings are generally optimists or pessimists, some of us were lucky to be born the former and the later type must work harder at being positive and optimistic. You will easily recognize a pessimist; when you get excited about something and they stomp on your dreams they will tell you they are just being realistic!! Whichever sort you are naturally it’s important to watch out for that inner dialog.
Yongey Mingyur Rinpoche Buddhist Monk and author of The Joy of Living
Buddhism is perhaps the closest we have come to cracking the secret of happiness. In his book The Joy of Living, Rinpoche describes Buddhism as a way of doing things that fosters serenity, happiness and confidence and avoids things that provoke anxiety, hopelessness and fear. The essence of the Buddhist practice is not so much an effort at changing your thoughts or your behavior so that you can become a better person, but in realizing that no matter what you might think about the circumstances that define life, you are already good whole and complete.
If most happiness experts tell us that happiness is not something we can seek externally, then we must accept it comes from within, it comes from the acceptance that there is no search, that happiness is yours for the taking, all you have to do is accept that it’s yours and the present moment is all that you have.
Happiness resides not in possessions, and not in gold, happiness dwells in the soul
Democritus
Featured photo credit: Smiling teenage girl reading a book via Shutterstock
Ciara Conlon is author of “Chaos to Control, a practical guide to getting things done”. Ciara runs workshops and coaches clients in the area of personal productivity and workflow. You can subscribe to her blog here and receive 2 free chapters from the book and also a free copy of her eBook "Clear the Clutter – Find Your Life", which has tips to remove physical or mental clutter from your life. 
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